Deji Adeyanju, the legal counsel for social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has voiced frustration over the ongoing challenges in obtaining his client’s release from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to a statement issued by the EFCC on Tuesday, VeryDarkMan is still in detention despite having been granted administrative bail because he is unable to comply with the terms of the bail.
In the statement, the EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, confirmed that Otse had been granted administrative bail, but would remain in custody until he met the stipulated conditions.
Oyewale clarified that the EFCC had invited Otse for questioning following multiple petitions alleging serious financial crimes.
The EFCC also disclosed that Otse had ignored several invitations to appear before the commission, which led to his arrest.
Oyewale emphasised, “The EFCC has a lawful right to hold Otse in custody like any other suspect being investigated by the commission. The appropriate remand order was obtained in this regard. He has been offered administrative bail and will be released after fulfilling all the bail conditions.”
Reacting to the EFCC’s statement, Deji Adeyanju took to social media, expressing his concern about the lack of transparency in the bail process.
He revealed that despite multiple requests, his legal team had not received the necessary documents outlining the conditions for VeryDarkMan’s release.
“Bail granted VDM, social media bail, as we are yet to receive any bail document from the commission. We have made several repeated demands in this regard since yesterday, when we were informed about the decision to grant bail,” Adeyanju posted on his social media handles.
In response to growing public attention, the EFCC reiterated that the arrest was lawful and not a retaliatory measure against Otse’s outspoken criticism of the commission on social media.
Oyewale explained that Otse had failed to respond to multiple invitations for questioning despite the gravity of the allegations against him.
“The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in the exercise of its mandate of tackling economic and financial crimes, invited Martins Vincent Otse owing to a series of petitions bordering on sundry issues of alleged financial crimes raised against him. He refused to show up despite several invitations sent to him through his known addresses and medium of communication,” Oyewale stated.
He further acknowledged that the EFCC was aware of Otse’s critical remarks about its operations on social media but insisted that the arrest was not related to those attacks.
Oyewale said, “While such conduct is condemnable, his arrest was not informed by such attacks. The relevant law enforcement agency will be allowed to look into them.”
The EFCC urged the public to refrain from speculating about the motivations behind Otse’s arrest and to allow the commission to carry out its constitutional duties without interference.
Oyewale added, “The Commission appreciates the interest of Nigerians in its operations. The passion, enthusiasm, and torrential reactions to all of its activities are welcome. However, insinuations about its motive in carrying out its assignment should no longer continue. The EFCC should be allowed to do its job without fear or favour.”
He ended by promising that after the investigations were over, Otse would face the proper charges.
