Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has strongly condemned the arrest of popular social media activist, Martin Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), describing the incident as unsettling and a threat to civil liberties.
Human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju disclosed on Friday that police officers arrested VDM at a Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) branch in Abuja. The activist had reportedly accompanied his mother to the bank to resolve issues related to unauthorised withdrawals from her account when he was apprehended.
Reacting to the incident, Obi said the arrest, though possibly legal, was carried out in a manner that closely resembled an abduction, raising serious concerns about the increasing disregard for the rule of law and due process in Nigeria.
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“The display of force, lacking in transparency and civility, closely resembled an abduction,” Obi said in a statement. “This disturbing method not only creates fear but also risks being mimicked by criminal elements. If Nigerians begin to struggle to distinguish between legitimate arrests and unlawful abductions, we will lose a vital layer of national security and accountability.”
Obi questioned why a more civil and transparent approach was not adopted. “Was it impossible to invite Mr. Otse in a civil, transparent, and legal manner? Would that not have spared Nigerians, GTBank, and our national image the unnecessary shame and losses we now witness?” he asked.
The former Anambra governor also addressed the recent alleged abduction of Atiku Isah, factional president of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS). Isah had accused Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, of interfering in NANS affairs, alleging that he was tortured and forced to resign by associates of the President’s son.
Obi warned against the suppression of youth voices in a democracy, calling it a dangerous precedent. “Nigeria’s youth should not feel coerced, silenced, or absorbed into political agendas that do not reflect their will,” he stated. “The oppression of young voices, whether through force, patronage, or intimidation, is a dangerous path that we must not normalize.”
He called on authorities to respect civil rights, uphold due process, and avoid actions that erode public trust in security institutions.
