Following a three-week detention, Martin Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has been granted bail by the Federal High Court in Abuja. The social media critic, accused of cyberbullying, regained his freedom on Monday after meeting the bail conditions.
While the specific details of the bail terms remain undisclosed, Otse had been facing charges of cyberstalking. He was brought before the Federal High Court in Abuja on May 22 on allegations of posting offensive content on Instagram and making inappropriate claims about celebrities Iyabo Ojo and Tonto Dikeh.
The charges against Otse included posting videos that were deemed “grossly offensive, pornographic, or menacing” on his Instagram account. Additionally, he was accused of spreading false information about Iyabo Ojo and suggesting that Tonto Dikeh was the mastermind behind a gossip blog.
Despite the allegations, VeryDarkMan denied all charges levied against him. Following his arraignment, while the prosecution pushed for his remand in prison, his legal team requested that he be kept in police custody. Consequently, Otse was transferred to the National Cybercrime Centre.
Prior to this recent detention, VeryDarkMan had been arrested on March 22 and subsequently released on March 31. According to his lawyer, the initial arrest stemmed from complaints filed by Tonto Dikeh, Iyabo Ojo, and Samklef.