Hundreds of youths in Abuja flooded the streets on Monday to demand the release of social media activist, Mr. Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), who was arrested and incarcerated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
VDM was reportedly arrested by operatives of the EFCC on Friday, after visiting the Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) branch in Area 3 to rectify an alleged unauthorised transaction from his mother’s account.
The youths who were seen with placards and chanting “Free VeryDarkMan,” stormed the EFCC Headquarters in Abuja to demand for his immediate release.
“EFCC release Verydarkman or release why you are holding him hostage! This inhumane injustice has to stop!”, they shouted.
Why the anti-graft agency is yet to speak on the matter, questions are beginning to be asked by notable Nigerians about his continuous stay in detention without formal charges.
Prominent among them is the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, who stated that his arrest and continued detention by EFCC, was a blatant abuse of power by the President Tinubu-led administration.
He said, even more alarming was the fact that Mr. Otse remains in custody without any formal charges- a flagrant violation of his constitutional rights and a chilling reminder of the growing authoritarianism under the government.
The former VP noted that “the latest episode is part of a disturbing pattern: the Tinubu regime’s relentless assault on the fundamental freedoms of Nigerians, particularly those who dare to speak truth to power or align with the political opposition.
“We must not allow state-sponsored repression to become the defining character of our democracy. While security agencies are quick to target dissenters and critics, often in complete disregard of due process, political loyalists with credible allegations of corruption walk free, trading sycophancy for immunity.
“The Tinubu administration’s systematic crackdown on opposition voices is nothing short of disgraceful. It is an affront to democratic norms and must be fiercely condemned and resisted,” he said.
