The Chief Magistrate Court, Wuse Zone 6, has summoned blogger Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), for “criminal defamation” of the reputation of gospel singer, Mercy Chinwo.
In the court summons dated March 5, 2025, Chief Magistrate Emmanuel Iyanna ordered the defendant, VDM, to appear in person before the court on March 13, 2025, to answer the charges levelled against them by the complainant, Chinwo.
The criminal summons stemmed from alleged defamatory statements made by VDM on social media, accusing Chinwo of involvement in a contractual dispute and the purported diversion of $345,000 linked to her former record label boss, Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu, also known as Eezee Tee.
In support of her claims, Chinwo furnished the court with documentary evidence, including emails and payment receipts, to substantiate that VDM’s allegations were not only entirely false but damning and injurious to the claimant’s public image and reputation.
In the criminal complaint filed by the complainant’s lawyers led by Pelumi Olajengbesi of Abuja-based law firm, Law Corridor, Mercy Chinwo said the alleged actions of the defendant are contrary to Sections 391 of the Penal Code and Section 24 (1)(B) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act 2015.
Magistrate Emmanuel Iyanna thereafter directed VDM to appear before the court on March 13, 2025, to answer the charges.