The Chief Magistrate Court, Wuse Zone 6, Abuja, has issued an arrest warrant for the arrest of blogger Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, for “criminal defamation” of the reputation of gospel singer, Mercy Chinwo.
The magistrate mandated the Nigeria Police Force and other law enforcement agencies to arrest VeryDarkMan and produce him in court to answer to the criminal allegations levelled against him.
Magistrate Emmanuel Iyanna issued the arrest warrant on Thursday, March 13, 2025, when VeryDarkMan failed to appear before the magistrate, following a court summons on March 5, 2025, for him to do so.
Though VeryDarkMan’s lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, appealed to the magistrate to rethink the arrest warrant and that he would personally bring his client to the court, Iyanna rejected the appeal and insisted that VeryDarkMan be produced in court by security agencies.
The arrest warrant sprang up from alleged defamatory statements made by VDM on social media, accusing Chinwo of involvement in a contractual dispute and the purported diversion of $345,000 linked to her former record label boss popularly known as Eezee Tee.
In support of her claims, Chinwo provided the court with documentary evidence, which included emails and payment receipts, to substantiate that VDM’s allegations were not only entirely false but detrimental and injurious to her public image and reputation.
Chinwo’s counsel also dragged VDM before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, seeking N1.1bn damages against the blogger.
The lawyer sought an order authorizing VDM to delete and issue a public apology for all allegedly false and defamative statements against Mercy Chinwo.