The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, adjourned the trial of controversial social media influencer, Martins Otse, popularly called VeryDarkMan (VDM), for allegedly cyberbullying actresses Iyabo Ojo and Tonto Dikeh, until Dec. 2.
The court fixed the date after the trial judge, Justice Musa Liman, presided over some cases on the cause list and rose.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police had, on May 15, re-arraigned VDM on five-count charge bordering on alleged cyberbullying, cybercrime, etc.
Besides the two actresses, he was also alleged to have cyberbullied famous Nigerian producer and singer, Samuel Oguachuba, also known as Samklef, among others.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge .
His lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, had prayed the court to allow VDM to continue on the earlier bail granted by Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon of a sister court.
Counsel to the I-G, Victor Okoye, did not object, and the judge admitted him to the earlier bail terms, adjourning the matter until July 24 for trial.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that VDM was arraigned before Justice Olajuwon on May 22, 2024, on the same offences, contrary to and punishable under Section 24 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.
He was remanded and granted a N10 million bail on June 10, 2024, by the judge, with two sureties who must be employees of a reputable company or Level 17 officers in the federal civil service, and provided evidence of three years’ tax clearance.
The charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/140/2024, dated and filed on March 28, 2024, was, however, re-assigned to Justice Liman, following Justice Olajuwon’s transfer to another division of the Federal High Court.
In count one, VDM was alleged to have, on or about Oct. 13, 2023, intentionally published via a video posted on his Instagram handle ‘verydarkblackman’, (aka verydarkblackman), threatening and bullying words, to harass Samuel Oguachuba.
In count two, he was alleged to have, on or about Oct 29, 2023, intentionally posted videos, by means of a computer system on his Instagram handles, which contained information that was grossly offensive, pornographic or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character against Iyabo Ojo.
In the video, he was alleged to have stated that “one Iyabo Ojo is having indecent sexual relationship with her daughter.”
VDM was also accused of having, on or about Jan. 19, 2024, knowingly posted videos on his Instagram handles where he “falsely published that King Tonto Dikeh is accused of criminal conversion of the proceeds of crowd funding for Justice for Mobbad Movement, and being the person behind the gistlover blog.”
In count four, the defendant was alleged to have intentionally posted videos on March 19, 2024, on his Instagram handle against the Deputy-Inspector Generals (DIGs) of Police and lawmakers in the National Assembly, which were considered to be annoying and insulting.
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