A Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Wuse Zone 6, Abuja, has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of controversial social media activist, Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), over allegations of criminal defamation.
The order, issued on Thursday by Magistrate Emmanuel Iyana, is sequel to a case brought by renowned gospel singer Mercy Chinwo, who accused VDM of making false and damaging statements about her on social media.
According to court documents, VDM alleged that Chinwo was involved in a contractual dispute over the alleged diversion of $345,000 linked to her former record label boss, Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu, also known as Eezee Tee. Chinwo denied the claims, presenting emails and payment receipts as evidence to refute the allegations.
Magistrate Iyana directed the Nigeria Police Force and other law enforcement agencies to arrest and produce VDM in court after he failed to honor a summons issued on March 5.
Despite an appeal from his lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, who pleaded to personally present his client at the next hearing, the court declined to vacate the arrest order.
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Chinwo’s legal team, led by Pelumi Olajengbesi, argued that VDM’s actions violated Section 391 of the Penal Code and Section 24(1)(B) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015.
In addition to the criminal case, Chinwo has also filed a N1.1 billion civil suit against VDM at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, demanding a retraction, public apology, and the deletion of all defamatory statements made against her
