Popular Nigerian social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has been arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja.

The arrest reportedly followed his public criticism of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) over alleged unauthorised withdrawals from his mother’s account.

Confirming the development to DAILY GAZETTE on Friday, VDM’s legal counsel, Barrister Deji Adeyanju, said the arrest took place at Area 3, Abuja, where police officers apprehended the activist and social commentator.

“VDM arrested by the police at GTB. Spoke to them before he was arrested. This is absolutely unacceptable. Demanding accountability is not a crime,” Adeyanju stated.

According to the lawyer, VDM was arrested alongside a friend identified as C Park, while his mother, who was with them, was left behind.

“A team of policemen arrested VDM at GTB. He was arrested with his friend C Park, but they left his mom alone,” Adeyanju added.

As at the time of this report, the police have not issued an official statement regarding the arrest or any charges.

Governor Peter Mbah, on Friday, joined prominent Nigerians in paying final respects to the late elder statesman and former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Chief Dubem Onyia, describing him as a moral compass and an enduring pillar in both public service and private life.

Speaking during a solemn funeral mass held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Ngwo, and presided over by the Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Most Reverend Callistus Onaga, Governor Mbah hailed Chief Onyia as a towering figure whose legacy would endure beyond his lifetime.

“We are gathered here today to pay our last respects to a legendary figure, a moral giant, and a man whose shoulders was a ladder of success for many.

“Sir Dubem Onyia, as I noted, was quite exemplary; a man whose light shone on all those that encountered him. There is no doubt that the void that his exit has created will be very difficult to fill.”

“But I will urge us to find solace in the impactful life that he had lived. His life was inspiring, and he inspired a lot of us.”

“So, we would hold the family very tight in our prayers. I will also implore everyone to remember that it is God who gives, and it is also him that takes,” the governor said.

Governor Mbah further encouraged the bereaved family and well-wishers to find comfort in the Christian hope of eternal life, reminding them that Chief Onyia’s journey does not end with death.

“I do not think I will say more than anything that was said in the scripture , that we are not hopeless. So, may his soul continue to rest in peace,” he added.

Delivering the homily, Very Rev. Fr. Franklin Eze emphasized the Christian funeral as a solemn reminder of life’s transience, urging all present to live with purpose and legacy in mind.

He described Chief Onyia as a man who carved a lasting legacy across politics, religion, and society, stressing that the distinction between true heroes and villains lies in their motivation, selflessness for the former, selfishness for the latter.

The funeral mass drew a host of dignitaries from across the country.

Among them were the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi; former governor of old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo, and his wife, Patricia; former governors Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia) and Senator Sam Egwu (Ebonyi); Senate Minority Whip representing Enugu West, Senator Osita Ngwu; and Chairman of the National Burial Committee for Chief Onyia, Senator Ben Obi, among others.

Isa Muhammad Wabi, a former chairman of Jama’are Local Government Area in Bauchi State, has died following a brutal attack allegedly carried out by individuals known to his son.

The Bauchi State Police Command confirmed the incident occurred early Friday at Wabi’s residence in the Fadaman Mada area, behind Government Girls’ Secondary School, Bauchi.

Responding to a distress call from a nearby resident, police officers arrived to find Wabi critically wounded, with multiple stab injuries to his neck.

He was rushed to Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

“Preliminary investigations suggest the attack was allegedly carried out by two individuals identified as Ahmad Abdulkadir (alias Abba) and Faruk Malami (alias Ajebo), both acquaintances of Wabi’s 24-year-old son, Abdulgafar Isa Mohammed,” the police said in a statement.

“The suspects reportedly broke into the victim’s home around 3 am and conspired to assault him,” the statement added.

In an unexpected development, one of the suspects, Malami (Ajebo), was found unconscious at the crime scene, allegedly following a retaliatory response during the attack. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was later confirmed dead.

The police have since taken Abdulgafar Isa Mohammed into custody for questioning. Authorities say he has been cooperative and is offering useful information relevant to the investigation.

“The command is conducting a thorough investigation to uncover the circumstances of this unfortunate incident and ensure that all responsible parties are brought to justice,” the police said.

Bauchi State Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, has visited the deceased’s family to offer condolences and assure them of justice.

A Lagos High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square has sentenced Andrew Ominikoron, a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) driver, to death by hanging for the murder of 22-year-old fashion designer Oluwabamise Ayanwola.

Delivering judgment in the case on Thursday, Justice Serifat Sonaike ruled that the prosecution, led by the Lagos State Government, proved beyond reasonable doubt that Ominikoron was responsible for Bamise’s death.

The judge declared, “that for the death of Oluwabamise Ayanwola, you will be hanged by the neck until you are dead. May God have mercy upon you.”

Although there was no eyewitness to the actual killing, the court relied on multiple pieces of circumstantial evidence, including the testimony of a pathologist and the victim’s dying declaration.

Justice Sonaike said these pointed clearly to the defendant as “the last person to see her before her death on February 26, 2022.”

In addition to the murder conviction, the court also found Ominikoron guilty of raping a 29-year-old woman, Nneka Maryjane Ozezulu, on November 25, 2021.

The court observed that the defendant had a documented history of sexual violence against female passengers in his BRT vehicle.

This was supported by the extra-judicial statements of two victims, as well as the chilling voice note Bamise sent shortly before her death, which the court said illustrated clearly that she did not consent to sexual intercourse with the defendant.

However, regarding the allegation that Ominikoron raped Bamise before killing her, the court held that the prosecution did not sufficiently prove this specific charge.

“Medical reports neither showed that the late Bamise was penetrated nor was any semen found in her,” the judge said.

This, the court concluded, indicated that either “the action of rape was not concluded or that it failed.”

As a result, Ominikoron was discharged on the charge of rape but found guilty of the lesser offence of attempted rape, which the prosecution successfully proved.

The court also acquitted the defendant on the count of conspiracy, stating that the evidence presented did not establish the charge beyond reasonable doubt.

The prosecution, led by the Director of Public Prosecution in Lagos State, Dr. Babajide Martins, urged the court to impose the maximum sentence on the defendant.

In response, defence counsel Abayomi Omotubora appealed for leniency, asking the court to “temper justice with mercy.”