- A Chief Justice of the Peace Court docket in Abuja has issued an arrest warrant for VeryDarkMan.
- The warrant is expounded to a authorized dispute with Mercy Chinwo, who has accused VDM of defamation.
- Mercy Chinwo filed a lawsuit towards VDM for ₦1.1 billion, searching for damages and a public retraction of his statements.
A Chief Justice of the Peace Court docket in Abuja has issued an arrest warrant for Nigerian on-line critic Vincent Martins Otse, popularly often known as VeryDarkMan (VDM). The court docket’s determination stems from an ongoing authorized dispute with gospel singer Mercy Chinwo, who accused him of defamation.
Mercy Chinwo had earlier filed a ₦1.1 billion lawsuit towards VDM, demanding each damages and a public retraction of his statements about her. The controversy arose after the critic made a number of on-line claims concerning the singer’s battle along with her former supervisor, EeZee Tee.
On Thursday, March 13, 2025, Justice of the Peace Emmanuel Iyanna granted the arrest order after VDM failed to seem in court docket on March 5, regardless of being formally summoned. Experiences from The Cable point out that VDM’s lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, pleaded for leniency, assuring the court docket that his shopper would attend future hearings. Nonetheless, the choose denied the request.
VDM had beforehand accused Mercy Chinwo of participating in shady actions concerning her authorized battle with EeZee Tee. He prompt that the choose overseeing the case must be changed, alleging bias as a consequence of his admiration for the gospel singer. Moreover, he claimed that an EFCC official concerned within the case was linked to Mercy Chinwo’s husband.
The arrest order has sparked public reactions, with supporters and critics of VDM weighing in on the matter. Whereas some consider his remarks had been an train of free speech, others argue that he crossed the road into defamation.
Because the case unfolds, all eyes stay on the court docket’s subsequent steps and whether or not VDM will adjust to the summons or face additional authorized penalties.