An Abuja Chief Magistrate Court in Wuse Zone 6 issued a bench warrant on Thursday for the arrest of social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM). The order stems from a criminal defamation case filed by gospel singer Mercy Chinwo, who accused VDM of making defamatory statements about her on social media. Magistrate Emmanuel Iyana directed the Nigeria Police Force and other law enforcement agencies to arrest and present VDM before the court. The court noted that the defendant failed to appear despite a summons issued on March 5. His lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, pleaded for time to personally produce his client, but the magistrate refused to revoke the arrest warrant. VDM allegedly claimed that Chinwo was involved in a contractual dispute and had diverted $345,000 linked to her former record label boss, Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu (Eezee Tee). The singer, who denied the allegations, presented documentary evidence, including emails and payment receipts, to clear her name. Her legal team, led by Pelumi Olajengbesi, argued that VDM’s actions violated Section 391 of the Penal Code and Section 24(1)(B) of the Cybercrime Act 2015. Additionally, Chinwo has filed a separate N1.1 billion lawsuit at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, seeking a retraction, deletion of the alleged defamatory content, and a public apology from VDM.