The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has confirmed the lawful arrest of prominent rights activist and social media influencer, Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), following multiple petitions alleging serious financial misconduct.
In an official statement released on Tuesday via its X (formerly Twitter) handle, the EFCC stated that Otse was arrested after repeatedly failing to honour several invitations to respond to the allegations. The Commission emphasised that his detention aligns with its mandate to investigate economic and financial crimes, as established under the EFCC Act of 2004.
“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,” the statement read.
“He refused to show up in spite of several invitations sent to him through his known addresses and medium of communication.”
The EFCC clarified that Otse’s arrest was not influenced by his past criticisms of the agency but was solely based on the gravity of the allegations against him. The Commission also noted that it had obtained the appropriate remand order, granting it the legal authority to detain Otse during the investigation.
“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,” the statement added. “He has been offered an administrative bail and would be released after fulfilling all the bail conditions.”
The Commission urged the public to allow it to carry out its duties without undue interference, assuring that charges would be filed upon the conclusion of the investigation.
“The EFCC should be allowed to do its job without fear or favour. As soon as investigations are concluded, charges will be filed,” it concluded.
