A bench warrant for the arrest of Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, VDM, was issued on Thursday by an Abuja Chief Magistrate Court sitting at Wuse Zone 6, SAVANNAH NEWSNOW REPORTS.
The arrest order followed a criminal defamation case that was brought before the court by a renowned female gospel singer, Mercy Chinwo.
Magistrate Emmanuel Iyana ordered the Nigeria Police Force and other law enforcement agencies to arrest VDM and bring him before the court to face criminal allegations levelled against him by a gospel singer after he failed to honour a summon issued on March 5.
Despite a passionate plea by counsel to the defendant, Mr. Deji Adeyanju, who was present in court, Magistrate Iyana refused to lift the arrest order. Adeyanju had asked the court to allow him to personally produce his client on the next adjourned date.
VDM was accused of making defamatory statements against the singer through his social media page, alleging that Chinwo was involved in a contractual dispute over her purported diversion of $345,000 linked to her former record label boss, Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu, also known as Eezee Tee.
The gospel singer, who described the allegation as false and damaging to her reputation, presented documentary evidence, including emails and payment receipts, to the court to establish her innocence.
Mr. Pelumi Olajengbesi, leading the complainant’s team of lawyers, maintained that the defendant’s action violated Sections 391 of the Penal Code and Section 24 (1)(B) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act 2015.
Additionally, it will be remembered that Chinwo’s counsel also filed a N1.1billion lawsuit against VDM at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and requested that the court order the defendant to delete, retract, and issue a public apology for the alleged false and defamatory statements made against Chinwo and her brand.
