Nigerian controversial social media critic, Martin Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has been remanded in police custody over alleged cyberbullying.
According to the the police, Verydarkman will remain in custody until his next hearing slated for next week Wednesday (March 29, 2024).
News About Nigeria reports that the controversial social media critic was on Wednesday arraigned at the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on a five count charge of cyberstalking involving the Nigeria police and Nollywood actresses Iyabo Ojo and Tonto Dike.
Although Verydarkman pleaded not guilty to the allegations against him, he was remanded at the police cell by Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon.
Reacting to the court’s decision, his lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, applied for bail, but the police prosecuting team informed Justice Mobolaji that they needed more time to respond to the application, leading the court to adjourn the bail hearing to May 29.
The prosecution had also sought to have Verydarkman remanded in prison custody, but his lawyers successfully argued for his remand in police custody instead.
The charges against him partly read, “ Posting a video on October 29, 2023, on his Instagram handle ‘verydarkblackman’ that contained offensive, pornographic, or menacing information, falsely alleging that Iyabo Ojo had an indecent sexual relationship with her daughter, violating Section 24 (1)(a) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015.
“Posting on your Instagram handles ‘verydarkblackman’, a video which contained information that is grossly offensive, pornographic or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character wherein you stated that one Iyabo Ojo is having an indecent sexual relationship with her daughter knowing or having reasons to believe that the information in the video you posted on your Instagram handle is false and you thereby committed the offence of Cyberstalking.”
