A Chief Magistrate Court in Wuse Zone 6 has issued a summons for blogger Martins Vincent Otse, known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), over alleged defamation of gospel singer Mercy Chinwo.
According to a court document dated March 5, 2025, Chief Magistrate Emmanuel Iyanna ordered VDM to appear in court on March 13, 2025, in response to allegations brought by Chinwo.
The case stems from claims made by VDM on social media, accusing Chinwo of being involved in a contractual dispute and allegedly diverting $345,000 linked to her former record label boss, Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu, also known as Eezee Tee.
Chinwo has provided the court with evidence, including emails and payment receipts, to dispute these claims, stating that the allegations are damaging to her reputation.
Her legal team, led by Pelumi Olajengbesi of Law Corridor, argues that VDM’s actions violate Sections 391 of the Penal Code and Section 24 (1)(B) of the Cybercrime Act 2015.
Additionally, Chinwo’s lawyers have filed a civil suit at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, seeking N1.1 billion in damages against VDM. They are also requesting that the blogger delete and retract the statements and issue a public apology.
Meanwhile, on February 17, 2025, a Federal High Court in Lagos upheld an arrest warrant against Eezee Tee in connection to an alleged fraudulent conversion case, with his arraignment scheduled for March 6, 2025.
The defamation suit claims VDM intentionally made false statements to harm Chinwo’s reputation. Legal representatives argue that his social media posts, made on February 2, 3, 4, 5, 12, and 17, 2025, have negatively impacted her public image, professional career, and emotional well-being. The posts reportedly accused Chinwo of taking bookings without informing her record label and withholding earnings.
