Nigerian Police Delays VeryDarkMan’s Freedom, Cite Easter Break

The Nigerian Police Force has delayed the release of popular social media influencer, Martins Vincent Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, due to the Easter break. SaharaReporters revealed that VeryDarkMan was supposed to regain his freedom on Easter Sunday, but the police cited the absence of personnel to process his release as the reason for the delay.

According to a source close to the situation, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Dr. Solomon Arase, had indicated that the lawyers representing VeryDarkMan could secure his release. However, the Investigating Police Officers (IPOs) on duty claimed they had not received any instructions to that effect. It was later communicated by the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) in Abuja, Mr. Sylvester Abiodun Alabi, that the lawyers should return on Tuesday after the Easter break to collect their client.

VeryDarkMan’s arrest followed a series of petitions against his online conduct. In a controversial video, he alleged that Bobrisky, a well-known cross-dresser, was involved in relationships with several Nigerian lawmakers and police chiefs, which he claimed was the reason for Bobrisky’s immunity from arrest despite openly claiming to be gay and undergoing gender transition.

Omoyele Sowore, the convener of #RevolutionNow, expressed his frustration last Tuesday over the police’s refusal to release VeryDarkMan on bail despite meeting the bail conditions. Sowore claimed that the police leadership intended to “teach him a lesson” by holding him in detention indefinitely, possibly until after the Easter Holidays, as they were allegedly shopping for a judge to handle the case. He added that the police were taking the law into their own hands because they felt accused by VeryDarkMan of homosexuality.

This is not the first time VeryDarkMan has had a run-in with the police. He was previously summoned over alleged cyberbullying of Nollywood actress Tonto Dikeh. As the situation unfolds, the public awaits further developments regarding VeryDarkMan’s release and the implications of his allegations against high-profile individuals.