On Monday, a group of youths staged a protest in Abuja to demand the immediate release of Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), a prominent social media personality and human rights activist, who is currently in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The protesters, carrying placards and chanting solidarity slogans, described VDM’s arrest as unlawful and an attempt to silence dissenting voices. They gathered in the Wuse area near the Berger bridge and vowed to extend their demonstration to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in Maitama.

VDM was arrested on Friday, May 2, 2025, after visiting Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) with his mother to report an alleged unauthorized deduction from her account. However, the EFCC stated that his detention stemmed from multiple petitions filed by various individuals accusing him of misconduct.

EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale clarified in an interview with BBC News Pidgin that the arrest was unrelated to the GTBank issue, emphasizing that the agency had a responsibility to act on complaints. He further assured the public that VDM would be released upon meeting his bail conditions and that the case would soon proceed to court.