Court Orders Arrest of Influencer VeryDarkMan Over Defamation Battle with Mercy Chinwo

A Chief Magistrate Court in Wuse has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of popular social media influencer and activist Martins Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), over allegations of defamation against renowned gospel singer Mercy Chinwo.

On Thursday, March 13, 2025, Magistrate Emmanuel Iyana ordered the Nigeria Police Force and other law enforcement agencies to arrest and present VDM in court after he failed to honor a previous court summons issued on March 5. The judge also denied a request from VDM’s lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, who had pleaded for more time to personally present his client at the next hearing.

The defamation lawsuit, filed by Chinwo’s lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, on March 3, accuses VDM of making false, damaging, and malicious statements about the singer through viral social media posts. The controversy stems from VDM’s claim that Chinwo diverted performance earnings without properly compensating her former record label, EeZee Conceptz, owned by Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu (EeZee Tee). However, Chinwo’s legal team argues that VDM was not directly involved in the contract dispute between the singer and her former label but still misrepresented the situation in a way that allegedly harmed her reputation.

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The lawsuit demands that VDM delete all defamatory posts, issue a public apology on all his social media platforms and in two widely circulated newspapers, and pay N1 billion in general damages, N100 million in punitive damages, and N25 million in legal fees. Additionally, Chinwo’s legal team is requesting a 10% annual interest on the total amount until full payment is made.

This legal battle follows earlier allegations made by Chinwo against EeZee Tee, in which she accused him of exploitation, threats to her safety, and spreading false rumors about her child’s paternity. The singer claimed these issues forced her to relocate from Lagos to Port Harcourt for security reasons.

With the court now pursuing VeryDarkMan’s arrest, this high-profile case has gained widespread attention. As tensions rise, many are watching closely to see how the popular influencer will respond to the legal action.