Popular Nigerian social media influencer, Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has been arrested by the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja, reportedly at the behest of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank), following his public complaints over unauthorised deductions from his mother’s bank account.
His lawyer, Barrister Deji Adeyanju, confirmed the arrest on Thursday, stating that Otse was picked up by police officers at Area 3, Abuja, shortly after visiting a GTBank branch to inquire about repeated debits allegedly linked to loan repayments his mother never applied for.
According to Adeyanju, the arrest was a direct response to Otse’s online criticism of GTBank. “My client was arrested simply for speaking out about repeated debits from his mother’s account for loans she never took,” he said.
Prior to his arrest, VeryDarkMan had shared a series of posts on social media highlighting what he described as suspicious banking activity. He revealed that over seven deductions had been made this year alone, prompting a visit to the bank to request detailed account statements and clarification.
“The staff were cooperating, and we hoped to find answers,” Otse had written, shortly before his arrest. “We went to understand why they keep deducting money in the name of loan repayments she never signed up for.”
The incident has sparked backlash online, with many Nigerians questioning GTBank’s response and raising concerns about customer rights and freedom of expression.
As of the time of reporting, GTBank has not issued an official statement regarding the arrest. Police authorities have also yet to comment on the legal basis for Otse’s detention.
