Nigerian social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, better known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has responded defiantly after a Chief Magistrate Court in Wuse Zone 6, Abuja, issued a bench warrant for his arrest over alleged criminal defamation of gospel singer Mercy Chinwo.
The court had earlier directed the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to apprehend and present VDM in court after he failed to honor a summons issued on March 5.
Magistrate Emmanuel Iyanna issued the order on March 13, 2025, despite appeals from VDM’s lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, who urged the court to reconsider and allow him to personally present his client. However, Iyanna remained resolute, insisting that security agencies enforce the warrant.
Reacting from China, where he is currently staying, VDM dismissed the arrest order as unjust and politically motivated. He criticized the judiciary for allegedly weaponizing the law and questioned why his absence from Nigeria was ignored when the case was filed.
In a video response, the activist described the legal action against him as a deliberate attempt to silence his advocacy. He vowed to expose corruption within the legal system and insisted that his arrest would not weaken his resolve. According to him, returning to Nigeria in handcuffs would not change his commitment to speaking out.
VDM further alleged that Mercy Chinwo was using her influence to manipulate law enforcement and suppress her former record label boss, Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu, also known as Eezee Tee. He maintained that he would not be silenced, regardless of any legal actions taken against him.
