Federal High Court in Abuja has remanded social media influencer, Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as Verydarkman in police custody.

Trial Justice Mobolaji Olajuwo issued the remand order after the defendant pleaded not guilty to a five-count cybercrime charge the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, preferred against him.

For instance, police, in one of the counts in the charge, alleged that the defendant posted videos on his Instagram handles ‘verydarkblackman’, containing information that was “grossly offensive, pornographic or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character.”

It told the court that the defendant alleged that one Iyabo Ojo was having indecent sexual relationship with her daughter, even though he knew that the information in the video he posted on Instagram was false.

Police further alleged that the defendant, in another video he shared on social media, falsely published that an actress, Tonto Dike, was accused of criminal conversion of the proceeds of crowd funding for #JusticeforMohbadMovement, and equally alleged that she was the person behind a controversial gossip blog, Gistlover.

It maintained that the defendant made the publication “for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience, danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred, ill will or needless anxiety to the person of the said King Tonto Dike.”

More so, the prosecution alleged that the defendant, in another video he posted on social media, falsely alleged that top police officers and Senators were having sexual relationship with a now convicted male cross-dresser, Idris Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky.

Police told the court that the defendant added that Bobrisky was pimping young boys for Senators and Senior Police Officers to sleep with, which statement he “made for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience, danger, insult, injury.”

The defendant was said to had by his actions, committed the offence of Cyberstalking, contrary to and punishable under section 24 (1)(b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) ACT, 2015.

Meanwhile, following the defendant’s plea of innocence to the charge, his lawyer, Mr. Deji Adeyanju, urged the court to release him on bail, pending the determination of the case against him. 

Adeyanju noted that the charge contained bailable offences, stressing that the defendant ought to enjoy his right of presumption of innocence as guaranteed under by the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

However, police said it would need time to respond to the defendant’s bail application.

Even though the prosecution counsel applied for the defendant to be remanded in prison custody pending the determination of his bail request, trial Justice Olajuwon ordered that he should remain in police custody.

The court subsequently adjourned the matter till next week Wednesday, May 29.

It will be recalled that Verydarkman was in March, arrested and detained by the police over the same allegations.

Verydarkman was later released on administrative bail after various human right activists mounted pressure on the police.