The Nigerian police have finally released Martins Vincent Otse, known online as VeryDarkMan, after initially withholding his release on Sunday, citing the Easter break as the reason for the delay.
According to reporters, VeryDarkMan was scheduled to be freed on Easter Day, but police personnel claimed they lacked the manpower to process his release due to the Easter festivities.
Despite assurances from the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Dr. Solomon Arase, that VeryDarkMan’s lawyers could secure his release, Investigating Police Officers initially on duty stated they had not received instructions to do so.
Later, reporters learned that Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Sylvester Abiodun Alabi of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) in Abuja informed the lawyers that they could return on Tuesday, once the Easter break had concluded, to retrieve their client.
Following reporters’ coverage, the police eventually released VeryDarkMan, prompting a tweet from the #RevolutionNow convener celebrating his freedom.
However, VeryDarkMan’s troubles stemmed from previous police summonses related to allegations of cyberbullying against Nollywood actress Tonto Dikeh, as detailed in a viral video he shared in January expressing concerns about his safety when visiting the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department in Abuja.