Deji Adeyanju, legal counsel to embattled social media personality and outspoken activist Martins Otse — widely known by his moniker "VeryDarkMan" — has raised alarm over what he describes as significant obstacles in securing his client's release from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Despite the EFCC’s public assertion on Tuesday that Otse had been granted administrative bail, Adeyanju insists that the legal team remains in the dark regarding the official terms of his release. In a statement issued via his social media platforms, the human rights lawyer lamented that all efforts to obtain the necessary documentation outlining the bail conditions have so far proved futile.
“Bail granted VDM — but only on social media,” Adeyanju remarked pointedly. “We have yet to receive any official bail documents from the commission. Our team has made several repeated requests since yesterday, when we were informed that bail had supposedly been approved.”
The EFCC, in a statement signed by its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, stated that VeryDarkMan was taken into custody following his consistent failure to respond to multiple summons sent to known addresses and communication channels. According to Oyewale, the commission acted within its legal rights by obtaining the appropriate remand order and detaining Otse pending investigation into numerous petitions alleging financial misconduct.
“Otse was invited for questioning over serious allegations of financial crimes. After he repeatedly ignored lawful invitations, he was arrested and taken into custody,” the EFCC explained. “He has since been offered administrative bail and will be released once all conditions are fulfilled.”
However, Adeyanju's reaction casts doubt on the EFCC’s transparency in the matter, suggesting a lack of clarity and due process in what should be a straightforward bail procedure. The situation has triggered growing concerns among VeryDarkMan’s followers and human rights advocates, many of whom have taken to social media to demand accountability from the commission.
This latest development adds to a growing wave of public interest surrounding the controversial figure, whose bold commentaries on social and political issues have earned him both loyal supporters and formidable critics.
As the standoff between the EFCC and Otse’s legal team continues, all eyes remain on how swiftly and transparently the anti-graft agency will act in releasing the social media activist, whose detention is fast becoming a flashpoint in conversations about due process and civil liberties in Nigeria.
