Very Dark Black Man (VDM), has decided to cut his trip to Banjul, Gambia

Deji Adeyanju, the legal representative for the detained Martins Vincent Otse, known as Very Dark Black Man (VDM), has decided to cut his trip to Banjul, Gambia short following his client's arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

In a conversation with The Guardian, Adeyanju announced that he and his team will head to the EFCC's corporate headquarters to challenge the commission regarding the reasons for Otse's detention. "I have chosen to cut my trip short and will return to Nigeria by 4 PM tomorrow, heading directly to the EFCC," he revealed. The law firm, Deji Adeyanju and Partners, has previously criticized the EFCC for not providing clarity to the public regarding their client's arrest and detention. The lawyers noted that when they visited the EFCC, the commission only presented an arrest warrant allegedly issued against Otse by Chief Magistrate Njideka Iloanya-Duru concerning accusations of cyberstalking. In a statement released by the firm and signed by Zainab M. Otega, Esq., they urged the EFCC to uphold their client's constitutional rights. They alleged that Otse and his friend were assaulted and blindfolded by armed individuals in black uniforms. The statement detailed: "On May 2, 2025, we received information that our clients, Mr. Martins Vincent Otse (a.k.a. Very Dark Black Man) and Mr. Steven Avuara (a.k.a. C-PACK), were apprehended by EFCC officers just after leaving Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) Ltd at Garki, Area 3, Abuja. "Following this alert, our Founding Partner, Marvin Omorogbe, Esq., along with Associate Steven Eze, Esq., promptly visited the EFCC Headquarters, Abuja, where they confirmed that our clients were indeed being detained by the Commission's Special Duty Committee (SDC) Unit 4. "Further inquiries led our colleagues to a Mr. Chukwu, identified as the lead officer on the case. Although access to Mr. Martins Otse was denied—reportedly at his own request—our representatives were able to speak with Mr. Avuara, who recounted the events leading up to their arrest. According to Mr. Avuara, he, Otse, and Otse's mother, Mrs. Blessing Otse, were at GTB to discuss unauthorized deductions from Mrs. Otse's account. Once their inquiries were completed, they found themselves trapped by the bank's security door for over five minutes. Shortly thereafter, they were confronted by armed men outside the bank, who assaulted them and blindfolded them. Mr. Avuara indicated that Mr. Martins Otse was reluctant to communicate with others, likely due to the severe psychological and physical trauma inflicted by the arresting officers, who referred to them as "bandits" and threatened their lives in front of Mrs. Otse. Mr. Avuara reported that they were then taken to the EFCC's headquarters in Jabi, Abuja. At the time of this statement, Mrs. Otse's whereabouts remain unknown.

Subsequently, our team sought clarification from EFCC officials regarding the specific allegations against Mr. Avuara, given their inability to speak with Mr. Martins Otse. However, they were directed to an interrogation room, where four EFCC agents, led by Mr. Chukwu, attempted to question Mr. Avuara about his relationship with Otse. Despite repeated requests for specific charges against Mr. Avuara, the EFCC officials only presented an arrest warrant allegedly issued against Mr. Martins Otse by Chief Magistrate Njideka Iloanya-Duru in connection with cyberstalking allegations. In light of the procedural violations concerning Mr. Avuara's rights, our representatives chose to leave the interrogation room and the EFCC Headquarters. We continue to engage with the EFCC on this matter and urge the commission to honor our clients' constitutionally guaranteed rights.**
Guardian