By Abiola Olawale
Controversial social media influencer Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), is back in the spotlight as the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun on Thursday re-arraigned him before Justice Musa Liman at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
It was gathered that VeryDarkMan was re-arraigned on five-count charges bordering on alleged cyberbullying of Nollywood actresses Iyabo Ojo, Tonto Dikeh, music producer Samuel Oguachuba (Samklef), and others.
A breakdown of the charges shows that VeryDarkMan was accused of allegedly sharing a video targeting Samklef with threatening and bullying content on October 13, 2023.
On October 29, 2023, VeryDarkMan was accused of reportedly posting videos claiming Iyabo Ojo was involved in an “indecent sexual relationship” with her daughter, deemed “grossly offensive, pornographic, or of an indecent, obscene, or menacing character.”
Also, on January 19, 2024, VeryDarkMan was accused of falsely alleging that Tonto Dikeh misappropriated funds for the “Justice for Mohbad” campaign and operated the anonymous blog Gistlover.
However, when all charges were read to him during court proceedings, VeryDarkMan pleaded not guilty to all charges, maintaining his innocence in the face of mounting legal pressure.
During the hearing, VeryDarkMan’s lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, requested that the court maintain the existing bail conditions from his initial arraignment on May 22, 2024, before Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon.
The prosecution, led by Victor Okoye, did not oppose the bail request.
Justice Liman then granted bail under the previous terms and adjourned the trial to July 24, 2025.
The New Diplomat reports that this is not VeryDarkMan’s first brush with the law. In May 2024, he faced similar cyberstalking charges involving the Nigeria Police Force, Iyabo Ojo, and Tonto Dikeh.
In April 2025, a court ordered his arrest over defamatory remarks against gospel singer Mercy Chinwo, directing him to delete the content and issue a public apology.
Additionally, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested VDM in May 2025 after he allegedly ignored multiple invitations to address some petitions against him.
