EFCC Yet To Disclose Why VeryDarkMan Was Arrested – Deji Adeyanju

Human rights lawyer, Deji Adeyanju has alleged that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is detaining social media activist, Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), without a formal petition or legal justification.

Naijaonpoint reports that Otse was reportedly arrested last week at a Guaranty Trust Bank branch in Abuja by operatives of the anti-graft agency.

Adeyanju, who visited the activist at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja on Monday shortly after returning to the country, said no official complaint or petition had been presented by the commission.

“We still cannot understand why he was arrested. EFCC said there’s no petition against him after our repeated demand,” he said via social media.

The Public Interest Lawyers League (PILL), in a strongly worded statement signed by its President, Abdul Mahmud, condemned the arrest as unlawful and unconstitutional.

“The arrest of Otse, reportedly without a warrant and in a manner that lacks transparency, represents yet another instance of the growing disregard for constitutional safeguards that protect Nigerian citizens from arbitrary state action,” the group said.

PILL cited Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution, which stipulates that no individual should be detained beyond 24 to 48 hours without being charged in court.

The organisation accused the EFCC of abusing its mandate by using state machinery to silence dissent.

“The continued detention of Otse beyond the constitutionally prescribed limit is a grave abuse of power and an affront to the rule of law,” Mahmud stated.

He called for Otse’s immediate release or his arraignment before a competent court.