EFCC Accused of Assaulting and Labeling VeryDarkMan a Bandit During Controversial Arrest in Abuja

Nigerian lawyer Deji Adeyanju has alleged that officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) physically assaulted and blindfolded social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, during a controversial arrest on May 2, 2025.

In a statement released by Adeyanju’s law firm, the EFCC operatives were accused of calling Otse a “bandit”, threatening to shoot him in front of his mother, and detaining him and his associate, Steven Avuara (aka C-Pack), without proper explanation following a visit to GTBank in Garki, Abuja.

The arrest, reportedly carried out by EFCC’s Special Duty Committee (SDC) Unit 4, has sparked outrage online, with human rights advocates and fans calling for transparency and accountability.

While EFCC presented a cyberstalking warrant issued by Chief Magistrate Njideka Iloanya-Duru for Otse’s arrest, no official charges were disclosed against Avuara, and attempts to interrogate him without clarity led to the legal team walking out in protest.

Adeyanju is now calling on the EFCC to respect the constitutional rights of both men and provide full transparency about the case.