The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to Martins ‘VeryDarkMan’ Otse, a controversial social media critic who was recently remanded in police custody on charges of alleged cyberbullying.
VeryDarkMan was released from police custody on Monday after fulfilling his bail conditions, though specific details of the bail terms remain undisclosed.
Otse, who is widely known for his provocative online presence, was arraigned on May 22 on five counts of cyberstalking.
The charges, filed by the Nigerian police, included accusations that Otse posted videos on his Instagram account that contained information deemed “grossly offensive, pornographic or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character.”
One notable charge alleged that Otse claimed actress Iyabo Ojo was involved in an indecent sexual relationship with her daughter.
Another charge accused Otse of asserting that actress Tonto Dikeh was the person behind the gossip blog Gistlover. Despite these allegations, Otse pleaded not guilty to all charges.
During the court proceedings, the prosecution sought to have Otse detained in prison. However, his defense lawyers successfully argued for him to remain in police custody instead.
The court agreed to this request, and Otse was subsequently held at the National Cybercrime Centre.
Otse’s legal troubles began with his initial arrest on March 22, after which he was released on March 31.
According to his legal representative, this arrest stemmed from a petition filed by Dikeh, Ojo, and singer Samklef. In January, Dikeh had also secured Otse’s arrest over similar allegations of cyberbullying and cyberstalking.
