The detention of controversial social media critic, Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan (VDM) raises some questions about his human rights.
Development Diaries reports that VDM has been in the custody of the Nigerian police since Friday, 23 March, 2024, according to his lawyer.
VDM lawyer speaks after a failed attempt to bail him out.
Iyabo Ojo, Tonto Dike and Sam Klef wrote different petition to different department of the NPF, FCT Police Command, Gender Unit of the Nigerian force CID, NPF centre for cyber crimes.
What did VDM do to Sam Klef? pic.twitter.com/rWrOz2ODTM
β ππ‘π«π¨π§π’ππ₯ππ¬ π¨π πβπ» (@MissEllieTweets) March 26, 2024
From the unfolding developments, the Nigerian police have yet to confirm to the public why he was arrested, beyond speculations on social media.
According to the Nigerian constitution, the police are required to charge anyone arrested with an offence not later than 48 hours, and if they fail to do so, the person must be released on bail, except in cases where they are suspected to have committed capital offences such as murder or armed robbery.
Unlawful detention is a blatant violation of human rights and a disregard for the rule of law. In light of this, detaining VDM without charges is unlawful and an abuse of his fundamental rights.
Also, we hope that the Nigerian police are not being used by some ‘powerful’ Nigerians, as claimed by his followers, to bully him into silence. If this claim is true, it would only erode public confidence in the police.
Therefore, the police need to explain to the public why VDM is being held to end the speculation surrounding his arrest.
Accountability measures must be implemented to ensure that law enforcement agencies serve with integrity, professionalism, and respect for human dignity.
Development Diaries calls on the Nigerian police to either charge VDM to court for a crime or release him on bail.
Photo source: VeryDarkMan
