Police Re-Arraign VDM for Cyberbullying Iyabo Ojo, Tonto Dikeh, Others
Controversial social media personality, Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), was on Thursday re-arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja on fresh charges of cyberbullying several public figures, including Nollywood actresses Iyabo Ojo and Tonto Dikeh.
VDM was brought before Justice Musa Liman on a five-count charge, which also includes cyberbullying music producer Samklef and others.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The case, initially filed on March 28, 2024, had first been assigned to Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon, who arraigned VDM on May 22, 2024.
Following the judge’s transfer to another division, the case was re-assigned to Justice Liman.
VDM was previously granted bail on June 10, 2024, to the tune of ₦10 million, with two sureties required to be employees of reputable organisations or Level 17 federal civil servants with valid three-year tax clearance certificates.
The charges stem from a series of videos posted on Instagram.
In one count, VDM was accused of uploading a video on October 13, 2023, containing threatening and bullying remarks against Samklef.
On October 29, 2023, he allegedly posted another video deemed offensive and indecent towards Iyabo Ojo, in which he claimed she was in an indecent sexual relationship with her daughter.
Another charge dated January 19, 2024, alleges that VDM falsely claimed that Tonto Dikeh was involved in criminally converting crowdfunding proceeds meant for the “Justice for Mohbad” campaign and that she operated the Gistlover blog.
On March 19, 2024, he allegedly made disparaging remarks targeting Deputy Inspectors General of Police and federal lawmakers.
VDM’s lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, urged the court to maintain the existing bail terms, a request that was not opposed by the prosecution.
Justice Liman granted the application and adjourned the matter until July 24, 2025, for trial.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
