A Chief Magistrate Court in Wuse Zone 6, Abuja, has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of popular blogger Martins Vincent Otse, known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), over alleged criminal defamation of gospel singer Mercy Chinwo.

The court directed the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to arrest VDM and bring him to court to face the charges. Magistrate Emmanuel Iyanna issued the warrant on Thursday, March 13, 2025, after VDM failed to appear in court despite being summoned on March 5, 2025.

VDM’s lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, tried to convince the magistrate to withdraw the warrant, promising to personally present his client in court. However, Magistrate Iyanna rejected the request and insisted that the security agencies produce VDM in court.

The case stems from accusations that VDM made false claims on social media, alleging that Chinwo was involved in a contract dispute and the misappropriation of $345,000 linked to her former record label boss, Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu, also known as Eezee Tee.

Chinwo reportedly provided the court with evidence, including emails and payment receipts, to prove that VDM’s statements were false and harmful to her reputation. Her legal team, led by Pelumi Olajengbesi of Law Corridor, argued that VDM’s actions violated Sections 391 of the Penal Code and Section 24 (1)(B) of the Cybercrime Act 2015.

Chinwo’s lawyers have also filed a separate case at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, demanding N1.1 billion in damages. They are seeking an order for VDM to delete the statements, retract them, and publicly apologize to Chinwo.