Court Issues Arrest Warrant for VeryDarkMan Over Defamation Case

An Abuja Chief Magistrate Court in Wuse Zone 6 has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of social media activist Martins Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), in connection with a criminal defamation case filed by gospel singer Mercy Chinwo.

Magistrate Emmanuel Iyana, in a ruling delivered on Thursday, directed the Nigeria Police Force and other law enforcement agencies to apprehend VDM and bring him before the court. The order followed his failure to appear in response to a court summons dated March 5.

Despite appeals from his lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, requesting additional time to ensure his client’s presence, the magistrate upheld the arrest warrant.

VDM is facing allegations of making defamatory statements about Mercy Chinwo on social media. He had accused the singer of misappropriating $345,000 from her former record label boss, Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu, also known as Eezee Tee, in a contractual dispute.

Chinwo has strongly denied these allegations, presenting documentary evidence—including emails and payment receipts—to counter the claims and defend her reputation.

Her legal team, led by Pelumi Olajengbesi, argued that VDM’s statements violated Section 391 of the Penal Code and Section 24(1)(B) of the Cybercrime Act 2015. In addition to the criminal case, Chinwo has also filed a civil lawsuit at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, seeking N1.1 billion in damages. She is demanding a public retraction, an apology, and the deletion of all defamatory statements made against her.