0:00
nigeria Anti-Corruption Police Economic
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and Financial Crimes Commission E FCC
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may have failed to state the alleged
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crime or crimes committed by a human
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rights activist Martins Vincent aka
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Vidman since 5 days over 120 hours the
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anti-corruption police arrested him in
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Abuja when he went with his mother to GT
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Bank to get clarification from the bank
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over constant apparent unauthorized
0:28
withdrawals affected by the bank on the
0:31
woman's savings account although Vid
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Arman was arrested alongside his friend
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Steven Avuara aka CPAC but according to
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the statement issued by the activist
0:41
lawyers legal chamber Deji Adanandju and
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partners Steven Avuara was released
0:46
shortly after he was arrested on Friday
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with the chamber insisting that as it on
0:50
Tuesday e FCC have not been able to
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state the crime or crimes their client
0:55
Vid Darkman committed rather as at on
0:58
Monday four operatives of the EFCC
1:01
engaged the human rights activist in
1:03
hours long questions that borders on why
1:06
he allegedly monetized his social media
1:09
pages his public comments about a gospel
1:11
musician his tax records and his source
1:14
of income this apparently authenticated
1:17
the BBC report that the EFCC confirmed
1:20
to it that Verid Dartman was arrested
1:22
and detained for cyber talking a BBC
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report which E FCC swiftly launched
1:27
media war against the British media
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tagging the BBC report as a fake news
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and in retaliation the BBC pigeon
1:35
replied EFCC with a post that its report
1:38
is correct and undoubtedly the crime of
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cyberalking may not be the duty of the
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EFCC as such is apparently the
1:45
constitutional responsibility of the
1:47
Nigeria police force and if true that
1:50
the human rights activist was detained
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for cyber talking it shows that The
1:54
country ruling political party the All
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Progressives Congress APC may have
1:59
questions to answer the APC had earlier
2:01
issued threat message to the human
2:03
rights activist after the activist
2:06
called the Nigeria Senate President
2:08
God's Will Actio out over the Senate
2:11
President traveling to Rome in Italy to
2:13
attend Pope Francis's burial while
2:15
almost daily killings and unabated high
2:18
level of insecurity are observed in
2:20
several states in the West Africa
2:22
country and furthermore EFCC in a
2:25
statement on Tuesday only issued an
2:28
apparent vague statement that he
2:29
received series of petitions against the
2:32
activist as a way to try to justify why
2:34
the human rights activist was arrested
2:36
and detained but the anti-corruption
2:39
commission probably could not make any
2:41
reasonable allegation against the human
2:43
rights defender even when the commission
2:45
confirmed in the statement that it has
2:47
been investigating the allegations filed
2:50
against Marie Darkman before the
2:51
activist was arrested in a commandoike
2:54
style at the exit gate of GT Bank
2:57
according to Deji Aliandu and partners
2:59
legal chamber following our earlier
3:02
statement on the arrest of our clients
3:04
Mr martins Vincent Dots aka very dark
3:07
black man and Mr steven Avuara aka CPAC
3:11
by offices of the economic and financial
3:14
crimes commission EFCC and considering
3:17
the heightened interest that their
3:18
arrest has generated amongst members of
3:20
the public we are constrained to issue
3:23
this further statement while we can
3:25
confirm that Mr auara was released after
3:28
our intervention on May 2nd 2025 Mr ots
3:32
however remains in the commission's
3:34
custody and was interrogated for several
3:36
hours yesterday May 5th 2025 in the
3:40
presence of our founding partner Marvin
3:43
Armarog esquire our interaction with Mr
3:47
odds largely confirmed the version of
3:49
events previously communicated to us by
3:51
Mr auara as it relates to the
3:53
circumstances surrounding their arrest
3:56
we note with grave concern that 4 days
3:58
after offices of the EFCC arrested Mr oz
4:02
the commission is yet to formally inform
4:04
him of the specific allegations against
4:06
him or avail him with any petition that
4:09
necessitated his arrest rather the
4:12
interrogation by the commission's
4:14
special duties committee SDC four
4:17
offices yesterday was primarily focused
4:19
on our client's handling of Naira notes
4:22
at the club alleged monetization of his
4:25
social media accounts his public
4:27
comments about a Nigerian gospel artist
4:30
his tax records and source of income
4:33
notwithstanding the commission's powers
4:35
to investigate financial crimes as
4:38
streamlined by the Supreme Court in Inob
4:41
versus FRN and in Wboshi versus N its
4:44
refusal to inform our client of the
4:46
specific allegations against him not
4:48
only constitutes a fundamental breach of
4:51
our client's constitutional right but
4:53
also suggests to us that this is a case
4:56
where the commission has affected an
4:58
arrest and is now fishing for evidence
5:00
to justify the arrest we are therefore
5:04
by this statement calling on the
5:05
commission to immediately release Mr
5:07
osor charge him to court if it has any
5:10
case against him as his continuous
5:12
detention beyond the constitutional
5:14
limit of 24 hours is now illegal the
5:17
legal chamber statement ends in quotes
5:20
efcc in a press release issued on
5:23
Tuesday with a caption if CC's case
5:25
against Martins Vincent odds reads
5:27
verbatim below the Economic and
5:30
Financial Crimes Commission EFCC in the
5:34
exercise of its mandate of tackling
5:36
economic and financial crimes invited
5:38
Martins's Vincent to owing to a series
5:41
of petitions bordering on sunundry
5:43
issues of alleged financial crimes
5:45
raised against him he refused to show up
5:48
in spite of several invitations sent to
5:50
him through his known addresses and
5:52
medium of communication the petitions
5:55
pertain to grave allegations of
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financial malfeasants which cannot be
5:59
ignored by the commission it is needful
6:01
to admit that the commission is aware of
6:03
several unguarded attacks of the suspect
6:07
operations while such conduct is
6:09
condemnable his arrest was not informed
6:12
by such attacks the relevant law
6:14
enforcement agency will be allowed to
6:16
look into them the EFCC has a lawful
6:20
right to hold Ots in custody like any
6:22
other suspect being investigated by the
6:25
commission the appropriate remand order
6:27
was obtained in this regard he has been
6:30
offered an administrative bail and would
6:32
be released after fulfilling all the
6:34
bail conditions the commission
6:36
appreciates the interest of Nigerians in
6:39
its operations the passion enthusiasm
6:42
and torrential reactions to all of its
6:44
activities are welcome however
6:47
insinuations about its motive in
6:49
carrying out its assignment should no
6:51
longer continue the EFCC should be
6:54
allowed to do its job without fear or
6:56
favor as soon as investigations are
6:59
concluded charges will be filed it would
7:02
be recalled that some agrieved Nigerian
7:04
youths staged a protest on Monday at the
7:06
garlic area 3 branch of guarantee trust
7:09
bank condemning the arrest and detention
7:11
of social activist Martin Vincent dots
7:14
popularly known as Vidman the visibly
7:18
angry protesters criticized the manner
7:20
in which the activist was apprehended
7:22
saying it was an act of kidnapping they
7:25
claimed he was neither invited for
7:27
questioning nor arrested with a warrant
7:30
former Anra state governor and the
7:31
Labour Party presidential candidate in
7:34
the last concluded Nigeria elections
7:36
Peter Obi had in a post said the recent
7:39
developments in our nation continue to
7:41
raise serious concerns about the
7:43
direction we are headed as a democracy
7:46
the tension in the land aggravated by
7:48
hardship is being needlessly fueled by
7:50
our attitude to the rule of law and
7:52
human rights the arrest of Martin
7:55
Vincent Odds popularly known as Verid
7:57
Darkman VDM though perhaps within the
8:00
legal rights of security agencies was
8:03
carried out in a manner that left many
8:05
Nigerians unsettled the display of force
8:08
lacking in transparency and civil
8:11
closely resembled an abduction a
8:14
disturbing method that not only creates
8:16
fear but also risks being mimicked by
8:18
criminal elements if Nigerians begin to
8:21
struggle to distinguish between
8:23
legitimate arrests and unlawful
8:25
abductions we will lose a vital layer of
8:27
national security and
8:29
accountability this trend is not new we
8:32
must recall that even our esteemed
8:34
judges the last line of defense for
8:36
justice have suffered similar
8:38
indignities in recent years when those
8:41
who interpret the law are treated with
8:43
such disregard it is difficult to expect
8:46
that ordinary citizens will feel
8:47
protected under the law moreover these
8:51
methods are beginning to affect our
8:52
economy and business environment the
8:55
backlash directed at GT Bank allegedly
8:58
linked to the circumstances surrounding
9:00
Mr os's arrest has had serious
9:02
reputational consequences at a time when
9:06
investor confidence is already fragile
9:08
we must do all we can to avoid actions
9:10
that tarnish institutions or undermine
9:13
the trust of both citizens and the
9:15
international community one cannot help
9:18
but ask was it impossible to invite Mr
9:20
os in a civil transparent and legal
9:23
manner would that not have spared
9:25
Nigerians GT Bank and our national image
9:29
the unnecessary shame and losses we now
9:31
witness similarly troubling are
9:33
allegations surrounding the so-called
9:35
adoption of the NAN's president if true
9:38
it raises critical questions about the
9:40
independence of student leadership and
9:42
the subtle erosion of young voices in
9:44
our democracy nigeria's youth should not
9:47
feel coerced silenced or absorbed into
9:50
political agendas that do not reflect
9:52
their will the oppression of young
9:54
voices whether through force patronage
9:58
or intimidation is a dangerous path that
10:00
we must not normalize we must return to
10:03
a Nigeria where justice is done and is
10:06
seen to be done without theatrics or
10:08
abuse a country where youth can speak
10:11
freely judges can serve with dignity and
10:14
institutions act responsibly that is the
10:17
Nigeria we must rebuild peter Obi stated
10:20
"We have reported that there is apparent
10:22
tension in Nigeria over the arrest of a
10:24
popular human rights activist Martins
10:27
Vincent dots aka Vidman or VDM who was
10:31
allegedly seized by Nigeria security
10:33
operatives in a manner that have kept
10:35
many wondering suspecting acts of
10:38
oppression and intimidation based on
10:40
threats issued by the ruling political
10:42
party All Progressives Congress APC
10:45
against the human rights activist after
10:48
the activist has condemned the Nigeria
10:50
Senate President God's Will Actio for
10:52
traveling to Vatican in Italy to attend
10:55
Pope Francis's burial ceremony while he
10:58
said the Senate President has failed to
11:00
visit states where almost daily burial
11:03
ceremonies are often held in some states
11:05
like Plateau Bonu Quir Enugu and Ogan
11:09
states where gunmen bandits are killing
11:11
the Senate President fellow citizens in
11:14
large numbers unabated in recent time in
11:17
Nigeria and angered by the talks the APC
11:20
South South zonal organizing secretary
11:23
blessing Abbomb here issued 7 days
11:25
ultimatum to Vid Aman to apologize to
11:28
the Senate President who led fiveman
11:31
federal government delegation to Rome to
11:33
attend the late Catholic head funeral
11:35
ceremony but immediately Vidman in a
11:38
video issued the public apology to the
11:40
victims of insecurity in the West Africa
11:42
country and in the video he further
11:45
accused and condemned the Senate
11:46
President and other Nigeria leaders for
11:49
being insensitivity to their
11:50
institutional responsibilities of
11:52
protecting lives saying insecurity
11:55
killing hundreds of people often in
11:58
Nigeria is as a result of leadership
12:00
failure on the part of the Senate
12:02
President and members of the Bola Ahmed
12:04
Tonubuled government and surprisingly
12:07
Deji Adiandu the lawyer to the activist
12:10
said that Vid Aman was arrested at
12:12
Guaranty Trust Bank GTB in Abuja on
12:17
dehumanizing manner and after he was
12:19
trapped at the exit door at the GTB
12:21
premises for 5 minutes some security
12:24
operatives came and cover his face with
12:26
a black cloth before he was led away and
12:29
for more than 48 hours Nigeria authority
12:32
is yet to issue statement over the
12:33
arrest of the human rights activist who
12:36
had on Friday went with her mother to
12:38
the GTB bank to get clarification over
12:41
the unauthorized withdrawals constantly
12:43
done on his mother's savings account
12:45
after the activist suspected that
12:47
someone may have used his mother
12:49
national identification number nin to
12:52
take loan from the GTB bank
12:58
n bringing you the news in a more
