Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) is facing potential legal consequences after allegedly facilitating the detention of known social media activist, Martins Vincent Otse, known to millions of followers as VeryDarkMan (VDM), according to statements from his legal representation.
Attorney Deji Adeyanju confirmed Friday that his firm is preparing legal action against the financial institution for what he described as “inhumane treatment” of their client during an incident that led to VDM’s current detention by Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“VDM was locked inside the GTB exit door for over 5 minutes to enable EFCC to arrest him and his friend,” Adeyanju stated in a social media post detailing the circumstances of the detention. “We will be taking legal action against GTB for the inhumane treatment meted out to our client.”
The controversy appears to stem from VDM’s recent public criticism of GTBank regarding alleged unauthorised transactions on his mother’s account. Sources familiar with the situation suggest the detention may be connected to these public statements, though official charges have not been disclosed.
The detention is an escalation of what began as a consumer complaint by VDM, who has built a substantial following through his outspoken commentary on Nigerian social issues.
Adeyanju further reported that a team of lawyers from his firm, led by Marvin Omorogbe, attempted to meet with VDM but were unsuccessful as “VDM refused to come out of the cell; that he won’t see anyone.”
“VDM was locked inside the GTB exit door for over 5 minutes to enable EFCC to arrest him and his friend. We will be taking legal action against GTB for the inhumane treatment meted out to our client. We will issue a public statement soon.”
The incident has sparked concern among digital rights advocates who question whether financial institutions should facilitate law enforcement actions against customers who publicly criticise their services.
As of press time, neither GTBank nor the EFCC has released an official statement regarding the nature of the allegations against VDM or the circumstances of his detention. A friend who was reportedly detained alongside the activist has met with the legal team, though details of this conversation have not been made public.
This is a developing story that will be updated as more information becomes available.
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