Reprieve has come for the detained social media critic, Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan as he was granted a N2 million bail among other stringent conditions.
An Abuja Chief Magistrate’s Court in Abuja handed down the judgment on Friday.
On Friday, Otse faced an arraignment at Chief Magistrate’s Court 1, Wuse Zone 6, for his unauthorized use of a police uniform.
Providing the bail terms, the counsel to VeryDarkMan, Mr. Deji Ayedanju, said the court ruled that the sureties are to provide means of identification and depose to affidavit to provide the defendant during trial at all times.
He added that the court had ordered the prosecutor to verify the sureties’ addresses, and the sureties were also required to provide their utility bills.
Adeyanju stated that the court also ruled that VeryDarkMan will depose to an affidavit that he will be available at all times during trial.
He wrote: “Two million, two sureties in like terms. Sureties to deposit international passports, sureties to provide means of Identification. Sureties to depose to affidavit to provide the defendant during trial at all times.
“Prosecutor to verify sureties’ address. Sureties to provide utility bills, defendant to depose to affidavit to be available at all times during trial. Sureties to reside within the Court’s jurisdiction, particularly Abuja municipal.”
Persecondnews reports that the police on Thursday evening detained VeryDarkMan hours after he tendered a public apology to the police for using their uniform in a viral video where he described himself as a CSP of an online division.
After the police questioned him on Wednesday for alleged impersonation, he apologized in a video he posted on his social media pages.
The social media influencer professed unawareness of the protocol, stating he didn’t know police permission was required to wear police uniforms or other similar ones.
He, therefore, cautioned fellow content creators to obtain necessary clearance from law enforcement before using similar uniforms for content purposes.
However, Adeyanju said the critic was detained after accepting a police invitation on Thursday.
In a post on his X handle, Adeyanju disclosed that his client had honoured a similar invitation on Wednesday.
The post reads: “Our client, VDM, has been detained after honouring a police invitation just like yesterday. VDM has been consistent in stating that the Nigerian Police are our friends, even when we all know they are not.”
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