Deji Adeyanju, lawyer to social media activist Martins Otse (known as VeryDarkMan), has raised concerns over the difficulty in securing his client’s release despite the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) granting him administrative bail.
On Tuesday, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale confirmed that the Commission approved VeryDarkMan’s bail, but tied his release to the fulfillment of specific conditions. He explained that Otse had ignored several official invitations to appear before investigators. These invitations followed petitions accusing him of serious financial misconduct.
Oyewale clarified that the EFCC followed due legal procedures. He emphasized that the Commission obtained a remand order to justify Otse’s detention. Although bail had been granted, Oyewale insisted Otse would only walk free after meeting all conditions.
Adeyanju, however, countered this on social media. He said his legal team had not received any official documentation to process the bail. “We’ve made repeated efforts to obtain the bail documents since yesterday. We still haven’t received anything,” he posted. He described the situation as a “social media bail” with no practical outcome yet.
Adeyanju expressed frustration, saying the legal team remains unable to act due to the lack of paperwork. According to him, the EFCC’s announcement of bail appears disconnected from actual access to justice.
Responding to public speculation, Oyewale addressed claims that Otse’s arrest was linked to his online criticism of the EFCC. He noted that while Otse had made multiple “unguarded attacks” on the agency, those statements did not motivate his arrest.
“The EFCC invited him to answer petitions alleging financial crimes. When he refused to appear despite several notices, we acted,” Oyewale stated. He explained that the allegations involve serious financial malpractice, which the Commission cannot ignore.
Oyewale called on Nigerians to stop making assumptions about the Commission’s motives. He urged the public to allow law enforcement to perform its duties independently. “We value public interest, but we also ask for trust in our process. If the investigation leads to charges, we’ll file them,” he added.
The delay in executing the VeryDarkMan EFCC bail has sparked widespread discussion on social media. While supporters accuse the EFCC of dragging its feet, others believe legal processes must take their course.
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