{"id":118337,"date":"2025-05-05T18:08:02","date_gmt":"2025-05-05T17:08:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=118337"},"modified":"2025-05-05T18:08:02","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T17:08:02","slug":"freevdm-protesters-storm-gt-bank-demand-his-release","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/freevdm-protesters-storm-gt-bank-demand-his-release\/","title":{"rendered":"#FreeVDM Protesters storm GT Bank, demand his release"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"m#msg-f:1831288498404831493\" class=\"mail-message expanded\">\n<div class=\"mail-message-header spacer\" style=\"text-align: justify;\">By Myke Agunwa<\/div>\n<div id=\"m#msg-f:1831288498404831493-content\" class=\"mail-message-content collapsible zoom-normal mail-show-images \" style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<div class=\"clear\">\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Following the arrest of social media activist, Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM) at the premises of Guaranty Trust Bank in Abuja last week, protesters on Monday stormed the bank headquarters, demanding his immediate release.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The protesters who gathered in large numbers with various inscriptions like \u201cActivism is not a sin\u201d, \u201cVDM is the masses\u2019 liberator\u201d, \u201cVDM has committed no offence\u201d on their placards were chanting \u201c#FreeVDM\u201d songs and efforts to barricade the banks entrance were resisted by security operatives attached to the bank that insisted that they must go to a corner or leave the area.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>VDM was recently arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of cyberstalking after he went to the bank to lodge a complaint about illegal deductions from his mothers account.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>According to his lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, VDM was ambushed by EFCC operatives inside the GTBank premises.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>The bank however denied the allegation and released a CCTV footage that showed that the social media influencer was picked outside its premises, and urged that further investigations should be conducted.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>In the video, VDM is seen leaving the banking hall and heading towards the car park moments before his arrest.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>However, the footage does not capture the actual arrest, most likely because the security cameras did not cover that specific area outside the bank.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Earlier in May 2024, VDM was arraigned at the Federal High Court in Abuja on five counts of cyberstalking. The charges stemmed from alleged online harassment of the Nigeria Police Force and Nollywood actresses Iyabo Ojo and Tonto Dikeh.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>He pleaded not guilty and was remanded in custody until he was granted bail.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Also in November 2024, VDM faced fresh charges of impersonation before an Abuja Chief Magistrate\u2019s Court. Prosecutors accused him of unlawfully dressing as a police officer and presenting himself as one. He again pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in the sum of \u20a62 million.<\/div>\n<div id=\"m_-6203128091947979918ymail_android_signature\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mail-message-footer spacer collapsible\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Myke Agunwa Following the arrest of social media activist, Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM) at the premises of Guaranty Trust Bank in Abuja last week, protesters on&hellip;<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":118338,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-118337","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - 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