- VeryDarkMan, was arrested by the EFCC.
- His legal team has expressed concerns over the disappearance of his mother, Mrs. Blessing Otse, following his arrest.
- Otse and his associate, Steven Avuara (aka C-Pack), were apprehended on May 2, 2025.
Martins Vincent Otse, better known as VeryDarkMan, was recently arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), sparking concerns from his legal team, who have now reported that his mother, Mrs. Blessing Otse, has gone missing following the incident.
A statement released on Friday by Deji Adeyanju & Partners revealed that Otse and his associate, Steven Avuara (aka C-Pack), were apprehended on May 2, 2025, shortly after leaving a Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) branch in Garki, Area 3 of Abuja.
According to the legal team, the arrest took place after Otse, his mother, and Avuara had visited the bank to address suspicious withdrawals from Mrs. Otse’s account.
“From our interactive session with Mr. Avuara, we were able to gather that Mr. Martins Otse, his mother, Mrs. Blessing Otse, and Mr. Avuara visited GTB to make inquiries about the incessant deductions from Mrs. Otse’s bank account,” stated Zainab M. Otega, Esq., in the statement.
After their inquiry, the group tried to exit the bank but became stuck in the building’s security door for several minutes.
“Following the conclusion of the inquiries, they attempted to exit the building, but were locked in the bank’s security door for over five minutes.”
The statement goes on to describe what happened next as a violent and sudden abduction.
“Shortly thereafter, they were accosted at gunpoint a few metres outside the bank’s premises, beaten and blindfolded by some armed men wearing black uniforms.”
Although EFCC has confirmed detaining both Otse and Avuara, the agency has reportedly failed to offer any explanation regarding the current location of Mrs. Otse.
“At the time of this statement, we are unable to confirm the whereabouts of Mrs. Otse,” the legal representatives said.
Upon hearing of the arrests, the firm’s founding partner, Marvin Omorogbe, and associate Steven Eze, headed to the EFCC Headquarters in Jabi, Abuja. There, they were only permitted to speak with Avuara, who described how EFCC operatives labeled them “bandits” and made violent threats in front of Mrs. Otse — behavior the legal team says may have caused Otse significant emotional trauma.
In another troubling development, the lawyers claimed that EFCC officials attempted to interrogate Avuara without first informing him of any formal charges.
“Despite repeated requests, the EFCC’s officers refused to disclose the specific allegation against Mr. Avuara,” they noted. “They only showed our colleagues an arrest warrant allegedly issued against Mr. Martins Otse.on the allegation of cyber stalking.”
The legal team strongly objected to what they described as constitutional violations and left the EFCC facility in protest.
“While we continue to interface with the EFCC on this issue, we call on the commission to respect our clients’ constitutionally guaranteed rights,” the statement concluded.
News of the arrest sparked backlash online, with critics accusing the bank of cooperating in what they call a politically motivated crackdown.
Deji Adeyanju, activist and lead counsel for Otse, accused GTBank of deliberately delaying his client inside the building so the EFCC could execute the arrest.
“VDM was locked inside the GTB exit door for over 5 mins to enable EFCC arrest him and his friend,” Adeyanju claimed in a post online.
He also indicated that legal action would be taken against the bank.
“We will be taking legal actions against GTB for the inhumane treatment meted out to our client. We will issue a public statement soon.”
Adeyanju confirmed that the legal team had located Otse and were taking steps to secure his release.
