***Warns Against Tyranny Disguised as Democracy
Former APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary and ULMWP Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, Comrade Timi Frank, has condemned in the strongest terms the arrest and unlawful detention of popular activist and social media personality, VeryDarkMan (Martins Vincent Otse), by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Otse was arrested three days ago after visiting a GTBank branch in Abuja to lodge a complaint about unauthorized deductions from his mother’s account. Instead of receiving justice, he was reportedly whisked away by masked EFCC agents and has remained in custody since — without being charged to court, in violation of constitutional provisions.
Frank, in a statement issued in Abuja, called the arrest a glaring example of the Tinubu administration’s ongoing war against free speech, dissent, and youth activism.
“This is not about cyberstalking. This is about silencing a voice that refuses to bow. VeryDarkMan is not a criminal — he is a concerned son and an outspoken Nigerian demanding accountability. And for that, he is being punished.”
Frank accused the EFCC of abandoning its core mandate to become a tool of political repression.
“Corrupt politicians and former officeholders are walking free — some even enjoying soft landings in Tinubu’s APC. But the EFCC finds the time and energy to detain a citizen for exposing fraud in a commercial bank?”
He questioned the legality and motive behind the arrest.
“Is EFCC now the enforcer of oppression? When did peaceful protest or speaking out against injustice become an economic crime? This arrest is not just illegal — it is immoral.”
Frank also suggested that the arrest may be retaliation for Otse’s earlier exposé on the preferential treatment allegedly given to controversial figure Bobrisky while in EFCC custody — a story that sparked nationwide criticism of the agency.
“Is this vendetta for telling the truth about how the rich are treated differently from the rest of us in this country?”
He called on the international community, human rights groups, and donor agencies to immediately re-evaluate their relationship with the EFCC.
“No global institution should partner with or fund an agency that operates outside the law and serves as a hammer in the hands of a failing administration.”
Frank urged the Central Bank of Nigeria to take responsibility and investigate allegations of fraudulent and unexplained deductions from customers’ accounts in Nigerian banks — the very issue that led Otse to protest.
“This is not just about one bank. It is about a pattern of exploitation by banks, power companies, and telecom providers — all hiding under the cloak of technology. Nigerians are being robbed in broad daylight and anyone who dares to speak up is branded a threat.”
Frank described the current state of the country as a “digital dictatorship” — where technology is being used not to empower citizens, but to trap them.
“Nigeria is under siege. Not just by terrorists in the forests, but by suits in air-conditioned offices and security agencies who protect them. We must resist this descent into tyranny.”
He concluded by calling on all Nigerians to speak out and rise in defense of their rights before it is too late.
“It is VeryDarkMan today. Tomorrow, it could be you. Enough is enough. The time to act is now.”
#FreeVeryDarkMan
#StopEFCCAbuse
#ResistInjustice
