By Ibrahim Kegbegbe
ABUJA, Nigeria — The ongoing saga surrounding the arrest of popular social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), took a dramatic turn on Monday, May 5, 2025, as protesters stormed a Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) branch in Abuja, blaming the bank for his detention—despite the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) publicly clearing GTBank of any involvement.
Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the bank’s Area 3, Garki branch in the Federal Capital Territory, demanding VDM’s immediate release. Chanting slogans and holding placards with messages like #FreeVDM and Stop Silencing Activists, the protesters accused both GTBank and the EFCC of complicity in what they described as a politically motivated arrest.
VDM was picked up by masked operatives on Thursday, May 2, shortly after visiting the GTBank branch with his mother and an associate to address alleged unauthorized deductions from his mother’s bank account. Viral CCTV footage of the moment shows him being whisked away, fueling public outrage and raising alarm over possible abuse of state power.
After initial silence, the EFCC confirmed it carried out the arrest based on multiple petitions from different individuals. “We arrested him to respond to a series of allegations raised against him by some petitioners,” EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale told BBC News Pidgin, noting that the arrest had nothing to do with GTBank and that VDM would be arraigned soon.
Meanwhile, the Take It Back Movement, a civic advocacy group, condemned the arrest as “unlawful” and “premeditated.” In a statement signed by Lagos State Coordinator Adekunle Adeyemi Taofeek (Scotty Aluta), the group alleged complicity on the part of both GTBank and the EFCC and raised concern over the whereabouts of VDM’s mother, who has reportedly been missing since the arrest.
“The arrest appears to be part of a broader pattern of attempts to silence outspoken critics of government and institutional misconduct,” the group stated.
VDM had previously voiced concerns for his safety. In February 2025, he claimed the EFCC planned to detain him using a viral video showing him spraying money at an event—evidence allegedly provided by a lawyer and a fellow social media influencer.
As of press time, GTBank and the Department of State Services (DSS) have not issued any official statements. Meanwhile, the campaign for VDM’s release continues to gain momentum, with #FreeVDM dominating social media platforms.
