A Chief Magistrate’s Court in Wuse Zone 6, Abuja, has summoned controversial blogger Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), over allegations of criminal defamation against gospel singer Mercy Chinwo.
In a summons dated March 5, 2025, Chief Magistrate Emmanuel Iyanna ordered VDM to appear in person on March 13, 2025, to respond to the charges. The case stems from VDM’s social media posts, where he accused Chinwo of misappropriating $345,000 allegedly linked to her former record label boss, Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu, also known as Eezee Tee.
Chinwo has denied the allegations, providing emails, receipts, and other documents to refute the claims. Her legal team, led by Pelumi Olajengbesi of Law Corridor, filed a criminal complaint against VDM, arguing that his actions violated Sections 391 of the Penal Code and Section 24(1)(B) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015.
In addition to the criminal charges, Chinwo has filed a N1.1 billion defamation lawsuit against VDM at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The lawsuit seeks an order compelling VDM to delete all defamatory posts, issue a public apology, and retract his statements.
Meanwhile, a separate case involving Eezee Tee is ongoing at the Federal High Court in Lagos. On February 17, 2025, the court upheld a subsisting arrest warrant against the record label executive over alleged fraudulent conversion, with his arraignment scheduled for March 6, 2025.
Chinwo’s lawyers contend that VDM’s social media posts, made on February 2, 3, 4, 5, 12, and 17, were intended to tarnish the singer’s image and mislead the public. They argue that the false claims have caused significant reputational damage, professional setbacks, and emotional distress to their client.
All eyes will now be on the March 13 court hearing, where VDM is expected to answer to the allegations.
