An Abuja Chief Magistrate Court sitting at Wuse Zone 6 on Thursday issued a bench warrant for the arrest of controversial social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), following a criminal defamation case filed by renowned gospel singer Mercy Chinwo.
Presiding over the case, Magistrate Emmanuel Iyana directed the Nigeria Police Force and other law enforcement agencies to apprehend VDM and present him before the court. This order followed VDM’s failure to comply with a court summons issued on March 5, which mandated his appearance in court. Despite pleas from his counsel, Deji Adeyanju, for additional time to produce his client, the magistrate upheld the arrest warrant.
The defamation charges against VDM are linked to his social media posts alleging that Mercy Chinwo was involved in a contractual dispute and the diversion of $345,000 associated with her former record label boss, Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu, also known as Eezee Tee. In response, Chinwo filed a lawsuit demanding N1.1 billion in damages, asserting that VDM’s allegations were both false and damaging to her reputation.
To substantiate her claims, Chinwo presented the court with documentary evidence, including emails and payment receipts, aiming to demonstrate the falsity of VDM’s statements and the harm caused to her public image. Her legal team, led by Pelumi Olajengbesi of the Abuja-based law firm Law Corridor, argued that VDM’s actions contravened Section 391 of the Penal Code and Section 24(1)(B) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act of 2015.
It has been also revealed that Chinwo’s lawyers had separately filed a ₦1.1 billion lawsuit against VDM before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The lawsuit seeks an order compelling VDM to delete, retract, and publicly apologize for all the alleged false and defamatory statements made against Chinwo and her brand.
These comes days after verydarkman released a diss track titled “Body of Christ,” intended to mock Mercy Chinwo for her lawsuit aginst him.
Meanwhile, as at the time of this report, Verydarkman is yet to respond.
By Ezinne Okorie.
