For decades, the overwhelming shadows of corruption and greed have clouded the endearing light of prosperity, growth and progress of Nigeria, with Nigeria’s Napoleons weaponizing poverty, insecurity, illiteracy and invoking security agencies, in broad day light to suppress, oppress and repress Nigerians.
While oppression is an enduring culture in Nigeria, it becomes alarmingly nefarious, especially with the malevolent and draconian use of the cyber act, by the political elite who hates that their names are mentioned alongside some of their egregious atrocities and influential figures who preferred the press to announce their Public Relations activities but press their corrupt practices under the carpet.
Considering Martins Vincent Otse, VeryDarkMan’s history with Nigeria’s Anti-graft agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), it doesn’t require rocket science for even a layman to fathom that the cruel abduction of VDM at a branch of the Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB) in Abuja is not a pure pursue of justice, but a petty vendetta, witch-hunt, shameful show of power and a deliberate pattern to silence the Edo-born activist.
VDM has told mind-blowing moonlight tales of corruption and illegality, involving EFCC, including the mysterious magic of an infamous Nigerian cross dresser, Okuneye Idris, known as Bob Risky, who was sentenced on a government-sponsored vacation to Kirikiri, but allegedly evaded jail time, enjoyed a normal life, even better than a freeman, justifying Transparency International’s 2025 ranking which places Nigeria as the 36th most corrupt country in the world.
In another VDM’s troubleshooting video, he claimed that EFCC’s neglect of it’s Lagos office to transport the case between popular gospel singer, whose spirit-filled songs has continued to edify the Body of Christ, Mercy Chinwo and his former record label boss, EzeTee, from Lagos to Ilorin, Kwara state was a foul play, intended to rape justice.
Maybe, VDM is guilty, if his offences include him unequivocally saying that “EFCC lacks integrity,” a bold statement which has been adequately demonstrated by EFCC in different instances, especially in its predictable subservience in the case of business magnate, Okoya’s sons, Subomi Okoya and Wahab lavishly abusing the Nigeria sacred currency, Naira— the same offence Bob Risky was jailed for only earned Okoya’s son a friendly excursion invite by the EFCC— attaching integrity with such an agency is as good as calling a mother of three a virgin.
In the past few months, VDM has persistently been a PR nightmare to the EFCC, exposing many untold corruption allegedly swimming in the pool of EFCC, an act that truly waters down the potency of a supposed anti-corruption-but-corrupt agency must have angered the agency so much that, instead of tackling the problems, strategizing better ways to fight corruption and earn the public’s trust, it decided to follow its cultural route— scapegoating the messager.
Already, EFCC is notorious for human rights violations and gross use of repressive antics to shut mouths of dissents, endeavoring to bully VDM into silence will only amplify what we already know it for— it won’t give them the image of a pious King.
The now-disbanded notorious Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) treaded on the same path of impunity, it first lost its relevance and then secured the anger of the people— EFCC’s Partisan Modus Operandi will not only diminish its constitutional power, but it will send a signal to the people that it is not only anti-corruption, but anti-people, which may be its road to doom.
Isn’t it a shame, that most Nigerians prefer to report fraudulent issues to VDM rather than the constitutionally ordained EFCC? EFCC’s intimidating abduction of VDM does not only paint Nigeria as barbaric and retrogressive, but according to the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, also gives criminal elements like bandits, kidnappers and other terrorist entities new ways to aggravate the overwhelming insecurity in Nigeria— criminals could put on black dresses and abduct citizens in the name of cyber stalking.
After six solid days of VDM’s celebrated abduction— like the EFCC has apprehended financiers of the deadly terrorist organization, Boko Haram, it alleged that VDM was involved in multiple serious financial crimes, but the giant elephant in the room with EFCC’s claim is that, considering its perceived animosity for VDM, if these unbelievable allegations were true, the EFCC that we know would have released an elongated statement, painting VeryDarkMan with a black paint, before looking for the black sheep— but in this case, after six days, EFCC is yet to disclose petitioners against VDM, yet, it says it is charging VDM to court— how can anybody defend against what they do not know?
While VDM is far from being a saint— he may not be a perfect model for religious growth or sexual morality, but his passion for justice has become a powerful force of consciousness among Nigerian youths and protests for his release is testament to his aplomb commitment, rigid dedication and exemplary motivation for change.
Surprisingly, VDM’s incarceration by the EFCC is not achieving the intended targets, but it is awakening more conscious, fearless and selfless individuals who are ready to take our dear country back from the Napoleons.
While I have not met VDM, I am confident that this challenging time will not consume him, rather, it will make him stronger.
