A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday,has remanded in police custody until his next hearing, billed Wednesday 9th May 2024 a social media critic, Martin Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan.
Otse is reportedly facing five counts of cyberstalking involving the Nigeria police and Nollywood actresses Iyabo Ojo and Tonto Dike, to which he pleaded not guilty.
His lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, applied for bail, but the police prosecuting team informed Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon that they needed more time to respond to the application, leading the court to adjourn the bail hearing to May 29.
The prosecution sought to have the blogger remanded in prison custody, but his lawyers successfully argued for his remand in police custody instead.
The court granted this request, and Verydarkman was subsequently taken to the National Cybercrime Centre.
The charges against him read, “1. Posting a video on October 29, 2023, on his Instagram handle ‘verydarkblackman’ that contained offensive, pornographic, or menacing information, falsely alleging that Iyabo Ojo had an indecent sexual relationship with her daughter, violating Section 24 (1)(a) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015.
“That you Martins Vincent Otse (A.K.A. VERYDARKBLACKMAN) ‘M’, 29 YRS of Supreme Court Estate Karu, Abuja on or about 29th October 2023, in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court knowingly and intentionally posted videos, by means of a computer system on your Instagram handles ‘verydarkblackman’, which video contained information that is grossly offensive, pornographic or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character wherein you stated that one Iyabo Ojo is having an indecent sexual relationship with her daughter knowing or having reasons to believe that the information in the video you posted on your Instagram handle is false and you thereby committed the offence of Cyberstalking contrary to and punishable under section 24 (1)(a) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) ACT, 2015.
Follow us on social media
