A coalition of civil society organisations under the banner of the Coalition of Civil Society Groups for Peace, Security, Good Governance, Equity, and Justice has petitioned the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2, Onikan, AIG Jimoh Moshood, calling for the immediate arrest, investigation and prosecution of social media personality Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), over alleged cyber-stalking, criminal defamation and incitement.
In the petition dated July 21, 2026, and signed by the coalition’s National Coordinator and Convener, Comrade James Okoronkwo, the group alleged that Otse had launched what it described as “continuous, malicious and coordinated cyber-attacks” against the senior police officer through his social media platforms.
According to the coalition, the social media influencer had, in recent weeks, disseminated what it called false and defamatory allegations aimed at undermining the integrity of AIG Moshood and the statutory authority of his office.
The coalition argued that the alleged actions went beyond social media commentary and amounted to offences under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, including cyber-stalking, criminal defamation and conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace.
The group said it had already undertaken media efforts to counter what it described as “malicious narratives” against the police officer but maintained that public rebuttals alone were insufficient to deter repeated online attacks.
It therefore urged the police authorities to immediately arrest Otse through the appropriate tactical units or the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC).
The coalition also called for a comprehensive forensic investigation into the suspect’s digital activities, as well as his alleged collaborators and sponsors, before prosecuting him in a court of competent jurisdiction.
According to the petition, prosecuting the matter would serve as a deterrent to individuals who “recklessly disparage law enforcement leadership without consequence.”
The coalition further stated that attacks on the integrity of a senior police officer amounted to a threat to national security and urged the authorities to “deploy the full weight of the law without delay.”
It also pledged to continue providing media support and civil society solidarity to the police as the matter progresses.
Martins Otse had not publicly responded to the allegations contained in the petition as of the time of filing this report. Likewise, there was no official indication that the Nigeria Police Force had acted on the petition.
