New Telegraph 
Social media influencer, Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has been released from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
His lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, confirmed the development in Abuja yesterday. VDM’s release marks the end of a detention that sparked protests and reignited debates over freedom of speech in Nigeria.
Providing insight into the conditions of VDM’s release, Adeyanju said: “VDM has been released. I undertook to produce him whenever he is required by the Commission or the court.
I must say that the EFCC, particularly the chairman, Ola Olukoyede, was cooperative throughout this process, and for that, I am grateful.”
Adeyanju’s remarks suggest a collaborative approach between VDM’s legal team and the EFCC, resulting in a resolution that avoided further escalation.
VDM was arrested on May 2, 2025, allegedly at a GTBank branch in Abuja while addressing unauthorized deductions from his mother’s account.
According to his lawyers, EFCC operatives detained him after he was briefly held at the bank’s exit door. However, CCTV footage later revealed that the arrest actually occurred in the car park.
