A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to Martin Otse, the controversial social media critic known as VeryDarkMan, who was accused of cyberbullying.
Otse was released from police custody upon meeting the bail terms on Monday, though the specific conditions of his bail remain undisclosed.
He faced charges related to cyberstalking and was arraigned at the Federal High Court in Abuja on May 22.
The Nigerian police charged Otse for posting offensive videos on Instagram and making indecent allegations against celebrities Iyabo Ojo and Tonto Dikeh.
One of the charges claimed that Otse posted videos containing information that was “grossly offensive, pornographic, or of an indecent, obscene, or menacing character.”
Another charge alleged that he claimed Iyabo Ojo was having an indecent sexual relationship with her daughter. Additionally, police accused Otse of alleging that Tonto Dikeh was behind the gossip blog Gistlover.
Otse denied all charges brought against him.
While the prosecution requested his remand in prison, Otse’s legal team requested he remain in police custody. The court approved this request, leading to his transfer to the National Cybercrime Centre.
Otse was initially arrested on March 22 but released on March 31. His lawyer revealed that the arrest was based on complaints from Tonto Dikeh, Iyabo Ojo, and Samklef.
