Social media figure Martin Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has been detained by police and arraigned in an Abuja court for cyberbullying allegations.
VDM pleaded not guilty to the charges but was remanded in police custody until his next hearing, set for next Wednesday. His lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, applied for bail, with the prosecution requesting more time to respond, leading to the bail hearing being adjourned to May 29.
In April, VDM was initially detained on cyberbullying accusations related to a video where he called for the arrest of Nigerian crossdresser, Idris Okunneye, aka Bobrisky, alleging protection from gay politicians.
VDM, who had previously advocated for Bobrisky’s arrest, claimed that the crossdresser was being shielded by influential politicians who are his gay associates.
In response to calls for the arrest of crossdressers, the Force Police Public Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, clarified that crossdressing is not a crime in Nigeria, thus making it difficult for the police to take action without substantial evidence of criminal activities.
