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By Myke Agunwa
Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Mr Peter Obi has condemned the arrest of Martin Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM) as well as the reported attack on the President of National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS) Atiku Isah.
VDM accused Money Deposit Bank, the Guaranty Trust Bank of illegal deductions and hidden charges on customers’ accounts
VDM was reportedly arrested last week after visiting the bank with his mother to address “unauthorised withdrawals from her account”.
A human rights lawyer, Deji Adeyanju reported that social media activist was arrested by police officers at a Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) branch in Abuja on Friday
Reacting to the development, Obi in series of tweets on his official X handle on Sunday, said that the gestapo like arrest was unsettling and akin to abduction.
He expressed concern over the increasing tension in the country, exacerbated by what he described as disregard for the rule of law and human rights.
He said the arrest, while possibly within the legal rights of security agencies, was executed in a manner that left many Nigerians feeling unsafe.
“The display of force, lacking in transparency and civility, closely resembled an abduction.
“This disturbing method not only creates fear but also risks being mimicked by criminal elements.
“If Nigerians begin to struggle to distinguish between legitimate arrests and unlawful abductions, we will lose a vital layer of national security and accountability” he said.
Obi suggested that a more civil and transparent approach could have been deployed.
“Was it impossible to invite Mr. Otse in a civil, transparent, and legal manner? Would that not have spared Nigerians, GTBank, and our national image the unnecessary shame and losses we now witness?” he asked.
Obi who also condemned the alleged torture and brutalization of NANS President warned against the erosion of youth voices in a democracy.
“Nigeria’s youth should not feel coerced, silenced, or absorbed into political agendas that do not reflect their will.
“The oppression of young voices, whether through force, patronage, or intimidation, is a dangerous path that we must not normalize,” Obi stated.
Recall that Isah had accused Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, of interference in the affairs of the student body and that he was offered N100 million to campaign for the re-election of Tinubu in 2027 using NANS structure.