Category Nigeria News

The Inspector-General of Police has re-arraigned social media influencer, Martins Otse, known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), before Justice Musa Liman of the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations of cyberbullying actresses Iyabo Ojo, Tonto Dikeh, and music producer Samuel ‘Samklef’ Oguachuba.

Otse was re-arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on cyberstalking and the alleged dissemination of offensive content through his social media platforms. He, however, pleaded not guilty to all charges.

His counsel, Deji Adeyanju, prayed the court to allow the defendant to continue on the earlier bail granted by Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon of a sister court.

The prosecution counsel representing the Inspector-General of Police, Victor Okoye, did not oppose the application.

Justice Liman subsequently admitted the defendant to the previous bail terms and adjourned the matter until 24 July 2025 for the commencement of the trial.

READ ALSO: Peter Obi Condemns VeryDarkMan’s Arrest, Alleged NANS President’s Abduction

VDM was initially arraigned on 22 May 2024 before Justice Olajuwon on the same offences, which are contrary to and punishable under Section 24 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015.

Following his remand, he was granted bail on 10 June 2024 to the sum of ₦10 million, with two sureties — either employees of reputable organisations or federal civil servants of not less than Level 17, with evidence of three years’ tax clearance.

However, the case was reassigned to Justice Liman following the transfer of Justice Olajuwon to another division of the Federal High Court.

Count-by-Count Allegations

According to the charge sheet, in Count One, Otse was alleged to have, on or about 13 October 2023, posted a video on his Instagram account (@verydarkblackman) containing threatening and bullying statements directed at Samklef.

In Count Two, he was accused of intentionally posting, on or about 29 October 2023, videos containing offensive, pornographic, indecent, obscene, or menacing content targeting actress Iyabo Ojo.

In the said video, he allegedly claimed that “one Iyabo Ojo is having an indecent sexual relationship with her daughter.”

Count Three alleges that, on or about 19 January 2024, VDM falsely published via Instagram that actress Tonto Dikeh had diverted proceeds from a crowdfunding campaign for the “Justice for Mohbad” movement and that she was the person behind the anonymous blog ‘Gistlover.’

In Count Four, Otse was alleged to have, on or about 19 March 2024, intentionally posted content considered annoying and insulting towards Deputy Inspectors-General of Police and members of the National Assembly.

The Court of Appeal Abuja, has reserved judgments in three appeals and a cross appeal filed challenging the outcome of the September 21 governorship election held in Edo State in which the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, declared Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress, APC as winner.

A three-man panel of the court, presided over by Justice Mohamed Danjuma, reserved the date to be communicated to the parties after their final arguments.

The appeals heard includes the one filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the election, Asue Ighodalo, and a cross appeal by the APC and Okpebholo.

The lawyers for the appellants while arguing the appeals prayed the court to allow their appeals and reverse the judgments of the election tribunal delivered on April 2.

READ ALSO: One PDP, Two NNPP Reps Officially Join APC

Specifically, counsel for Ighodalo and the PDP, Robert Emukpoeruo, SAN, urged the court to allow the appeal and set aside the judgment of the tribunal, argued that, in relationship to the appellants’ allegations of non compliance, the tribunal failed to appreciate the nature of the non compliance complained of.

Emukpoeruo noted that there was no record of serial number on Form EC25B as required by Section 73(2) of the Electoral Act, 2022, adding that “The tribunal said we required evidence of polling agents or witnesses to prove how the forms were filled or not filled.

“That was not our case. Our case was that the Form EC 25B did not contain the serial number,” he said.

The appellants’ lawyer argued that the tribunal was also wrong to claim that the documents his clients tendered at trial were dumped on the tribunal.

He also noted that as against the tribunal’s finding, oral evidence was not needed in the nature of the case of the appellants, who were petitioners before the tribunal, stating that his clients did not challenge the conduct of the election, but the conflict in the results collated and announced.

In conclusion, he pointed out that part of his clients’ contention was that the results that were collated at the ward level were not the results declared at the polling units.

However, the lawyers for the respondents urged the court to affirm the judgments by the tribunal and dismiss the appeals.

Their counsel, Onyechi Ikpeazu, argued that the petition, which they filed before the tribunal and the appeal are totally an academic exercise.

Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, for the APC and Kanu Agabi ,SAN, for the INEC also argued in similar manner in praying the court to dismiss the appeal and affirm the judgment of the election tribunal.

The Senate has constituted a planning committee to organise a high-level summit on national security, aimed at addressing Nigeria’s growing security challenges.

The committee is to be chaired by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele while Senator Yahaya Abdullahi has been appointed to serve as Deputy Chairman.

The committee is expected to convene the summit and present its report within two weeks.

READ ALSO: Reps Suggest Establishment Of One CBT Centre Per LG

Other members of the committee include Senators Ireti Kingibe, Idiat Oluranti, Mpigi Barinada, and Babangida Hussaini. Also appointed are Senators Jimoh Ibrahim, Isah Jibrin, Osita Ngwu, Mohammed Tahir Monguno, Titus Zam, Ahmad Lawan, Abdulaziz Yaradua, and Gbenga Daniel.

The committee will also include Senators Austin Akobundu, Buba Shehu Umar, Abdulhamid Malam Madori, Emmanuel Udende, Adams Oshiomhole, and Saliu Afolabi.

Bill To Make Voting Compulsory For Nigerians Passes Second Reading In Reps

A Bill for an Act to Amend the Electoral Act, 2002 to make it mandatory for Nigerians of Maturity Age to Vote in all National and State Elections has scaled second reading in the House of Representatives.

The proposed legislation was sponsored by the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, and Daniel Asama Ago

Leading the debate during plenary on Thursday, Ago said the bill aimed to encourage citizens’ participation in the electoral process, noting that voter apathy during elections would be addressed if the bill scales legislative scrutiny.

Ago, who represents Bassa/Jos North under the Labour Party, believes mandatory voting can reduce the influence of vote buying.

The Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, in his contribution believes this is a good step in the right direction.

He also cited examples of other countries such as Australia where the practice is upheld.

Some lawmakers argued that citizens have lost confidence in the voting system, and also question the authenticity of the voters register.

Similarly, a bill for an Act to amend the Labour Act, to increase the Maternity Leave period of working women to six months has been stepped down in the House of Representatives.

Hon Chike Okafor (Okigwe South/Imo/APC) who sponsored the bill was compelled to step it down after lawmakers including women, debated against it.

The lawmakers argued that increasing the maternity leave period from three to six months would put women in a disadvantaged position as employers would be wary of employing them.

READ ALSO: Court Jails Kaduna TikToker For Naira Abuse

 Malaria Eradication

Meanwhile, the Senate has passed through second reading a bill seeking to establish the National Agency for Malaria Eradication (NAME) as part of an urgent national effort to combat malaria, a disease responsible for over 184,000 deaths annually in the country.

The bill, sponsored by Senator Ned Munir Nwoko (Delta North), was first introduced on November 28, 2023, but has now been reintroduced with a revised title and a sharpened focus to reflect what the lawmaker described as a national emergency.

Leading the debate, Senator Nwoko referenced the World Health Organization’s 2024 report, which shows that Africa records approximately 600,000 malaria deaths each year, with Nigeria bearing the highest burden globally.

“Malaria is not just a public health issue. It is a structural crisis. It contributes to 11% of maternal mortality in Nigeria and leads to miscarriages, stillbirths and severe anaemia,” he said.

The senator also highlighted the economic cost of malaria, noting how it drains productivity and burdens businesses with avoidable healthcare expenses.

Lawmakers gave huge backing to the bill underscoring the need for a coordinated approach to tacking malaria scourge and procuring vaccines to scale down the high death toll and ensure an institutionalized response to one of the nation’s deadliest diseases.

Nigeria’s headline inflation rate eased to 23.71% in April 2025,  according to the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Thursday.

The statistics office said the April 2025 headline inflation figure represents a 0.52% decline when compared to that of March 2025.

On a month-on-month basis, inflation growth slowed considerably, printing at 1.86% in April compared to 3.90% recorded in March.

The Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the conviction and sentence of one content creator on TikTok and Instagram, Muhammad Kabir, before Justice Rilwan Aikawa of the Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna for abusing and mutilating the Naira.

Kabir was arrested on Tuesday, April 29th, 2025 at Tudun Wada, Kaduna State for making a video on his TikTok and Instagram @youngcee0066 page while spraying the Naira notes on the floor, matching on them and making utterances in Hausa language and daring the EFCC to come and arrest him in his known location.

He was subsequently arrested for violating the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act which prohibits the abuse and mutilation of the Naira.

READ ALSO: Senate Mulls Bill Compelling MDAs To Patronise Local Automobiles

His one-count amended charge reads: “That you Muhammad Kabir Sa’ad (a.k.a youngcee0066)(M) sometime in 2025 at Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did unlawfully mutilate Naira by stepping on the Naira banknotes while making a social media video and posting same on the internet and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 21(3) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007 punishable under Section 21(1) of the same Act.”

The defendant pleaded “guilty” to the charge when it was read to him, prompting the prosecution counsel, M.U Gadaka to pray the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.