A Chief Magistrate Court in Abuja, sitting at Wuse Zone 6, has ordered the arrest of social media activist Martins Otse, known as VeryDarkMan (VDM). The arrest warrant follows a defamation case filed by gospel singer Mercy Chinwo.
On Thursday, Magistrate Emmanuel Iyana issued the order, directing the Nigeria Police Force and other law enforcement agencies to arrest VDM and bring him to court. This decision came after VDM failed to comply with a previous summon dated March 5, which required his presence in court.
During the court session, VDM’s lawyer, Mr. Deji Adeyanju, pleaded for leniency. He promised to ensure VDM’s appearance at the next hearing. However, despite his efforts, Magistrate Iyana refused to withdraw the arrest warrant.
According to the complaint, VDM allegedly posted defamatory statements about Mercy Chinwo on social media. He claimed that she was involved in a contract dispute, accusing her of diverting $345,000. Notably, the money reportedly belonged to her former record label boss, Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu, also known as Eezee Tee.
However, Chinwo strongly denied the allegations, describing them as false and damaging to her reputation. To prove her innocence, she presented evidence, including emails and payment receipts.
Meanwhile, the complainant’s lawyer, Mr. Pelumi Olajengbesi, argued that VDM’s actions violated Section 391 of the Penal Code and Section 24 (1)(B) of the Cybercrime Act of 2015. As a result, he called on the court to hold VDM accountable for his defamatory remarks.
In addition to the criminal case, Chinwo has also filed a civil lawsuit at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. She is demanding N1.1 billion in damages. Furthermore, her legal team has urged the court to order VDM to delete the defamatory posts, retract his statements, and issue a public apology.
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