The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has denied a viral report claiming it disclosed the reasons behind the detention of controversial social media commentator VeryDarkMan (VDM).
The activist was detained on Friday after visiting a Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) branch in Abuja with his mother to address alleged unauthorised withdrawals from her account.
Human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju later revealed that VDM’s arrest followed a petition filed by a magistrate in Abuja.
However, on Monday, BBC Pidgin quoted Dele Oyewale, EFCC spokesperson, as saying the activist was arrested based on petitions filed by some individuals who had grievances against him.
When asked if the petitions were related to GTB, Oyewale was quoted to have said the complaints came from different individuals and that the EFCC has a responsibility to protect them.
“We arrested him to respond to a series of allegations raised against him by some petitioners,” Oyewale was quoted as saying.
“We will release him once he meets the bail conditions, and we will take the case to court as soon as possible. We are law-abiding.”
Following his detention, supporters and associates of VeryDarkMan took to social media to campaign for his freedom.
Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi condemned VDM’s arrest, calling it a “disregard for the rule of law and human rights”.
Atiku Abubakar, the former vice-president, expressed his disappointment with the “continued detention” of the activist without formal charges, describing it as a “violation of his constitutional rights and a sign of growing authoritarianism” in the country.
Davido also joined the outcry, praising the widespread support for VeryDarkMan as “proof that genuine activism impacts lives”.
However, shortly afterward, the commission denied speaking with BBC Pidgin.
The EFCC, which has stayed quiet about the activist’s detention dismissed the BBC Pidgin report as “fake news” in a post via X.
