Social critic, Martins Vincent Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, has claimed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is planning to charge him with money laundering.
Earlier, the activist was detained after visiting a Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) branch in Abuja with his mother to address alleged unauthorised withdrawals from her account.
His arrest sparked widespread outrage on social media, with many Nigerians and celebrities demanding his immediate release.
Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, condemned VDM’s arrest, calling it a “disregard for the rule of law and human rights”.
Atiku Abubakar, the former vice-president, expressed his disappointment with the “continued detention” of the activist without formal charges, describing it as a “violation of his constitutional rights and a sign of growing authoritarianism” in the country.
On Tuesday, the EFCC revealed that VDM was arrested following multiple petitions by unnamed individuals accusing him of “financial malfeasance”.
The Commission claimed he had repeatedly ignored invitations sent through his known channels, which led to his eventual arrest.
He was released on Wednesday after spending five days in custody.
But in a recent Instagram post, VeryDarkMan alleged that while in custody, EFCC took his mugshot with money laundering charges.
The 31-year-old said the mugshot also include tax evasion charges.
The activist said although he is “starting a friendship” with the anti-graft agency, but it must remove the money laundering tag on his image.
VeryDarkMan dared the EFCC that if the money laundering inscription is not removed, he would continue to lash out at the agency for framing other victims.
“EFCC, you know we are starting a friendship. I want to talk about what can spoil the friendship. You took a picture of me. Where there will be a problem is seeing that picture being shared and I see where money laundering is being written.
“As we are now making friends that if there is any one scams another, I would inform you about it, and you catch the person. It would be fine that way.
“But if you release my picture on your page and I see money laundering as you have put. First of all, you will prove money laundering to the whole Nigeria. It might be the first case we would do in the open.
“You put tax evasion, no problem. But if money laundering, you will prove it. It only means that all the charges you put on people are all lies.
“Clean the money laundering. You know I saw it and I told you I was going to talk about it. And if you do not, you are the government. Whatever you put, I do not care, but not money laundering.”
The Cable
