Court orders bench warrant against VeryDarkMan for ‘defamation’

• A magistrate court in Abuja has ordered the arrest of VeryDarkMan.
• The arrest order followed a criminal defamation case that was brought before the court by popular female gospel singer, Mercy Chinwo.
• While the VDM’s lawyer promised to produce his client at the next hearing, the court insisted he be brought by security agencies.

An Abuja Chief Magistrate Court sitting at Wuse Zone 6, on Thursday, March 13 issued a bench warrant for the arrest of controversial social media activist, Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, VDM.

Chief Magistrate Emmanuel Iyanna ordered the Nigeria Police Force, together with other law enforcement agencies, to arrest VeryDarkMan and bring him to dock, to answer to the criminal defamation allegations levelled against him by gospel singer Mercy Chinwo.

This comes as VeryDarkMan failed to appear before the magistrate, following a court summons on March 5, 2025 for him to do so.

Although lawyer to VeryDarkMan, Deji Adeyanju, appealed to the Magistrate to rethink the bench warrant and that he would personally produce his client in court, the Magistrate rejected the appeal and insisted that VDM be produced in court by security agencies.

The bench warrant stemmed from alleged defamatory statements made by VDM on social media, accusing Chinwo of involvement in a contractual dispute and the purported diversion of $345,000 linked to her former manager, Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu, also known as Eezee Tee.

Aggrieved by the allegation which she described as not only false but also injurious to her public image and reputation, the gospel singer, adduced before the court, documentary evidence that included emails and payment receipts, in a bid to establish her innocence.

The complainant’s lawyers led by Pelumi Olajengbesi said the alleged actions of the defendant are contrary to Sections 391 of the Penal Code and Section 24 (1)(B) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act 2015.

Chinwo’s counsel had also dragged VDM before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, seeking N1.1bn damages against the activist.

The lawyer prayed the court to compel the defendant to delete, retract, and issue a public apology for all the alleged false and defamatory statements he made against Chinwo and her brand.