Nigerian social media activist Martins Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan, has been released from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
His release was announced on Wednesday by prominent activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore via his social media platform, X (formerly Twitter).
Mr. Sowore stated, “Thanks to unrelenting efforts of all @thatverydarkman has been released from unjust detention at the @officialEFCC. He is with his ebullient lawyer, @adeyanjudeji.”
Mr. Otse had been detained by the EFCC following allegations of financial misconduct, with the agency stating he had failed to respond to several invitations for questioning. The EFCC had previously acknowledged Mr. Otse’s criticisms of their operations but insisted his arrest was related to the alleged financial crimes, not his commentary.
While the EFCC confirmed Mr. Otse had been offered administrative bail, details of the conditions and whether they were met were not immediately clear.
Mr. Otse is known for his outspoken views on social media, often addressing issues of alleged wrongdoing. His detention earlier this week had sparked considerable discussion online in Nigeria.
The EFCC is the primary agency in Nigeria tasked with investigating financial crimes. The release of Mr. Otse will likely be welcomed by his supporters and raises questions about the next steps in the ongoing investigation.
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