The arrest of Martins Vincent Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, a social media star and rights campaigner, has been denounced by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
According to Naija News, VeryDarkMan (VDM) was taken into custody by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday.
Atiku said in a statement on Monday that the government of President Bola Tinubu has developed a shameful practice of detaining dissenting voices that express disapproval of the government’s policies.
The former presidential candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also denounced the security services’ hostility toward critics.
He cautioned that the nation’s democracy will be impacted by state-sponsored repression.
It said: “The Tinubu administration, which has made political repression a defining feature of its rule, has once again abused its power with the arrest and ongoing detention of social media influencer and vocal critic Mr. Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).”
Even more concerning is the fact that Mr. Otse is still being held without being charged, which is a blatant abuse of his constitutional rights and a terrifying illustration of the government’s increasing authoritarianism.
This latest episode is part of a disturbing pattern: the Tinubu regime’s relentless assault on the fundamental freedoms of Nigerians, particularly those who dare to speak truth to power or align with the political opposition.
“We must not allow state-sponsored repression to become the defining character of our democracy.
“While security agencies are quick to target dissenters and critics, often in complete disregard of due process, political loyalists with credible allegations of corruption walk free, trading sycophancy for immunity.
“The Tinubu administration’s systematic crackdown on opposition voices is nothing short of disgraceful. It is an affront to democratic norms and must be fiercely condemned and resisted.”
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