Deji Adeyanju, legal representative of popular online personality Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has alleged that officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) labelled his client a “bandit,” blindfolded him, and physically assaulted him during a controversial arrest.
The revelation is contained in an official statement released on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) by Adeyanju’s law firm, which detailed the events leading up to the arrest and alleged abuse.
According to the statement titled “Preliminary Statement on the Arrest of Mr. Martins Vincent Otse (aka Very Dark Black Man) and Mr. Steven Avuara (aka C-Pack) by Officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission“, the incident occurred on May 2, 2025, shortly after Mr. Otse, his mother Mrs. Blessing Otse, and Mr. Avuara visited Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank), Garki, Area 3, Abuja, to inquire about “the incessant deductions from Mrs. Otse’s bank account.”
After completing their inquiry, the trio attempted to exit the bank but were “locked in the bank’s security door for over five minutes.”
Upon stepping outside, they were reportedly “accosted at gunpoint a few metres outside the bank’s premises, beaten and blindfolded by some armed men wearing black uniforms.”
The statement alleged that during the arrest, “the officers labelled them as ‘bandits’ and threatened to shoot them in the presence of Mrs. Otse.”
Upon learning of the incident, Adeyanju’s colleagues, Marvin Omorogbe and Steven Eze, visited the EFCC headquarters where they confirmed that both Otse and Avuara were being detained by “officers attached to the Commission’s Special Duty Committee (SDC) Unit 4.”
While they were denied access to VeryDarkMan — who “declined to see anybody” — they were able to speak with Avuara, who provided an account of the events.
Efforts to determine the basis for Avuara’s detention were unsuccessful.
The EFCC officers reportedly refused to disclose the allegations against him.
Instead, they presented an arrest warrant against Otse allegedly issued by “His Worship, Njideka Iloanya-Duru (Mrs), Chief Magistrate II, Wuse Zone 2, on the allegation of cyber stalking.”
Despite “repeated requests,” the statement says, the officers attempted to interrogate Avuara without clarifying any charges against him. The lawyers eventually exited the interrogation room, refusing to be part of a process that they considered a violation of Avuara’s “constitutional right to be informed of the allegations against him.”
The statement concluded: “While we continue to interface with the EFCC on this issue, we call on the Commission to respect our clients’ constitutionally guaranteed rights.”
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