Human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju has revealed that the legal team representing detained social media critic Martins Otse, alias VeryDarkMan, has not received any official bail paperwork from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, despite the anti-graft agency’s public announcement of his bail grant.
Adeyanju, a member of VDM’s defense team, took to X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday to clarify the situation, stating, “Bail granted VDM, social media bail as we are yet to receive any bail document from the commission.”
The activist lawyer further disclosed: “We have made several repeated demands in this regard since yesterday that we be informed about the decision to grant bail.”
The controversial social commentator was apprehended by EFCC operatives last Friday following his visit to a GTBank branch in Abuja, where he had gone to report an alleged unauthorized deduction from his mother’s account. While the exact charges remain undisclosed, the commission cited “several petitions” against the activist as the basis for his detention.
The arrest sparked public outcry after unverified reports surfaced claiming EFCC officials manhandled VDM during the operation. The commission has not directly addressed these allegations but maintains his arrest followed due process.
Monday’s EFCC statement confirming VDM’s administrative bail appeared to signal imminent release, but the legal team’s latest update suggests procedural delays. Legal analysts note this development raises questions about communication gaps between security agencies and defense counsel in high-profile cases.
Legal representatives indicate they will continue pressing for formal documentation to facilitate VDM’s release. The EFCC had previously stated it would file charges upon concluding investigations, though no timeline has been provided.
