Court Strikes Out Police Case Against VeryDarkMan Over Alleged Police Uniform Impersonation
The Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Abuja has struck out the criminal case filed by the Nigeria Police against social media activist and influencer Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), bringing an end to a legal battle that lasted nearly two years.
The court struck out the case on Tuesday, August 4, citing a lack of sufficient evidence to support the allegations against the outspoken social media personality.
Reacting to the development in a video shared on his Instagram page, VeryDarkMan expressed relief, announcing that he had been discharged and acquitted.
“First of all, congratulations to me after two years of battling in court with Nigerian Police over the charge that I wore a Nigerian Police uniform, therefore impersonating the Nigeria Police, a criminal offence punishable by two to five years.
“It’s with great pleasure to announce to you that the battles are all over. The case has been struck out for lack of evidence and therefore I have been honourably discharged and acquitted.”
The case dates back to 2024, when the activist was arraigned for allegedly wearing a Nigeria Police uniform without official authorisation, an act prosecutors argued amounted to impersonation.
Following his arraignment, the court granted him bail in the sum of N2 million in November 2024.
The charges stemmed from videos in which VeryDarkMan wore a police-style uniform and jokingly referred to himself as a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) and Nigeria's "number one online police officer."
With the court's latest decision, the legal proceedings have now come to a close, marking another significant chapter in the activist's highly publicised encounters with law enforcement.
Opinion
The court's decision reinforces an important principle of the justice system: criminal allegations must be supported by sufficient evidence before they can result in a conviction. Where that standard is not met, courts are empowered to dismiss such cases.
At the same time, the ruling should not be interpreted as a blanket endorsement of wearing official uniforms or using symbols associated with security agencies. Such actions can still raise legal and public interest concerns depending on the circumstances and applicable laws.
For VeryDarkMan, the judgment represents a major legal victory and allows him to move forward after a lengthy court process. For the public, it is another reminder that high-profile cases should ultimately be decided in courtrooms based on evidence and due process rather than public opinion.
