In a fresh development, popular Nigerian activist and social commentator, VeryDarkMan, widely known as VDM, has been confirmed to be in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). This comes hours after earlier reports emerged of his arrest by officers of the Nigerian Police Force at a Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) branch.
The latest update was provided by Deji Adeyanju, a human rights activist and legal representative of VDM. According to Adeyanju, lawyers from his firm, led by Marvin Omorogbe, visited the EFCC office and met with a friend of VDM who was arrested alongside him. While the friend was seen in custody, VDM reportedly refused to come out of his cell, stating he did not want to see anyone.
Adeyanju detailed how VDM was allegedly held inside the bank’s exit door for over five minutes to enable EFCC operatives to arrest him and his associate. He described the incident as “inhumane” and announced plans to take legal action against GTB for its alleged role in facilitating the arrest.
“This kind of treatment of our client is unacceptable,” Adeyanju stated. “We will be holding GTB accountable for their complicity and the degrading circumstances under which VDM was apprehended.”
At the time of this report, the reasons for VDM’s arrest have not been officially disclosed by the EFCC, and neither the agency nor GTB has issued a public statement regarding the incident.
VeryDarkMan is known for his outspoken commentary on social and political issues in Nigeria, often drawing both praise and criticism for his bold takes on controversial matters.
The public awaits further clarification on the circumstances surrounding his arrest and the charges—if any—he may be facing. Legal and civil rights groups are also closely monitoring the situation, as concerns grow over the treatment of outspoken figures and activists in the country.