VDM da tambarin EFCC logo.asalin hoton: Daily Post.
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Claim: Viral EFCC mugshot of VeryDarkMan shows charges brought against him.
Verdict: False. Our findings reveal that the viral mugshot was manipulated.
Full Text
Social media went agog on May 2, 2025, when the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested self-acclaimed activist, Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), at a Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB) branch in Abuja.
Following his arrest, Facebook blogs like Jerry Wife TV (archived here) and Ochuole Updates started sharing a mugshot of VDM posing with an arrest placard. The placard showed his name, the alleged charges against him, and a date. The placard alleged that VDM was arrested for “Alleged case of cyberstalking and ML.”
The image also appeared on X, as seen here (archived here).
This image has generated a debate, with users like Chigozie Ike saying VDM has started experiencing “karma” for his activism.
However, Adeniyi Awoniyi, another Facebook user, questioned this image’s authenticity.
In the comment section, Adeniyi wrote, “Everybody has become a blogger posting fake information and fake news. When they are arrested, they will be looking for supporters who will be protesting for them to be released. Mind what you post.”
DUBAWA conducted this verification due to the ongoing controversies surrounding VDM’s arrest.
Verification
DUBAWA observed several red flags at a glance. First, VDM was smiling, a rather unusual expression for someone held in custody for days. Second, his name was wrongly spelt on the placard. It was spelt as “Martin Vicent Otse” instead of “Martins Vincent Otse.”
The image also appeared blurry, a common characteristic of manipulated visuals. Most doctored images lose metadata during editing, resulting in reduced image quality.
Apart from these, a quick check on the EFCC’s social media handles shows that the commission did not post this image.
We subjected the image to Fake Image Detector, a tool for analysing manipulated images. The result indicated that the image was either generated or modified.
Furthermore, we conducted a keyword search on Google, which revealed a version of the image, featuring VDM’s outfit and the same window background, on a Facebook parody profile. Using that as a reference, we performed a reverse image search, which led us to VDM’s Instagram profile. There, we found the original version of the photo, along with a video, posted on December 26, 2023.
In a statement shared by the EFCC on May 6, 2025, the EFCC said they had previously invited VDM over multiple petitions on “alleged financial crimes” but he failed to honour the invitations. The EFCC also noted he was lawfully arrested and detained with a valid remand order.
“The EFCC should be allowed to do its job without fear or favour. As soon as investigations are concluded, charges will be filed,” a part of the statement reads.
Conclusion
Our findings show that the circulating mugshot of VDM was manipulated to drive a false narrative.
I strongly believe that this move to arrest VDM is an agenda to silent him and upcoming activist like him. I don’t like him that much but I love what he does and I think people like him should remain.