In a significant development, social media activist Martins Innocent Otse, widely recognized by his online moniker VeryDarkMan, has been granted administrative bail by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The announcement was made public on Tuesday through the Commission’s official Facebook page, where the EFCC explained that the decision to arrest VeryDarkMan followed the receipt of numerous petitions accusing him of engaging in activities considered to be serious financial crimes.
According to the statement released by the EFCC, the Commission had initially attempted to contact the activist via known channels in an effort to have him appear for questioning. However, these attempts reportedly went unanswered, leaving the agency with no alternative but to proceed with his arrest.
“The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in the exercise of its mandate of tackling economic and financial crimes, invited Martins Innocent Otse owing to a series of petitions bordering on sundry issues of alleged financial crimes raised against him,” the agency clarified.
The EFCC described the allegations as not only credible but also “grave financial malfeasance,” emphasizing that they were too serious to be dismissed or overlooked by the anti-graft agency.
In response to growing public concern and social media discourse regarding the nature of the arrest, the Commission also addressed widespread claims suggesting the move was politically driven or retribution for VeryDarkMan’s vocal criticism of government institutions, including the EFCC itself.
“It is needful to admit that the Commission is aware of several unguarded attacks of the suspect against its operations. While such conduct is condemnable, his arrest was not informed by such attacks. The relevant law enforcement agency will be allowed to look into them,” the Commission stated, reinforcing its stance that the arrest was grounded in legal procedure and not influenced by personal grievances.
Furthermore, the EFCC highlighted its legal authority to detain suspects during the course of active investigations and reiterated that VeryDarkMan’s case was no exception to this rule. “The EFCC has a lawful right to hold Otse in custody like any other suspect being investigated by the Commission,” it affirmed.
The Commission concluded by appealing to the public to allow the legal process to unfold without undue speculation or pressure, assuring that should the evidence warrant further legal action, formal charges would be brought in accordance
with the law.