Verydarkman's Arrest, Consequence of Power Abuse, According to Atiku

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By John Obe 


The arrest and ongoing detention of social media activist, Martins Vincent Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has been denounced by former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, who sees it as another indication of the administration's increasing authoritarianism under President Bola Tinubu. 

The EFCC's spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, confirmed VeryDarkMan's detention, saying the activist was arrested after receiving petitions from multiple people alleging cyberstalking.

Atiku charged that the government was using security forces as weapons to stifle dissent and threaten administration critics in a sharply worded statement that was uploaded on X (previously Twitter) on Monday.

“The arrest and continued detention of social media influencer and outspoken critic, Mr. Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is yet another blatant abuse of power by the Tinubu administration,” he wrote.

The absence of official charges against Otse, according to the former PDP presidential candidate, is "a flagrant violation of his constitutional rights and a chilling reminder of the growing authoritarianism under this government." 

According to Atiku, the episode is part of a trend of " relentless assault on the fundamental freedoms of Nigerians, particularly those who dare to speak truth to power or align with the political opposition."
He also accused the Tinubu-led administration of treating corruption accusations unfairly, pointing out that supporters facing serious charges are nonetheless exempt while critics and opposition leaders are harassed.

“While security agencies are quick to target dissenters and critics, often in complete disregard of due process, political loyalists with credible allegations of corruption walk free, trading sycophancy for immunity,” Atiku said.

He cautioned against normalizing what he called " state-sponsored repression, “adding, “We must not allow state-sponsored repression to become the defining character of our democracy.”
John Obe 

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