The Department of State Services (DSS) has interrogated popular social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan, over a leaked video connected to an ongoing coup trial.
This follows an order by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja, who demanded an investigation into how the restricted footage made its way into the public domain.
POLITICS NIGERIA recalls that a video recording was tendered as evidence in the trial of suspects accused of attempting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s government, a case that dates back to the arrests of several individuals in 2024.
During court proceedings on June 23 and 24, 2026, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo, alerted the court that the restricted video was circulating on VeryDarkMan’s social media platforms, violating an earlier court order that restricted its distribution.
Speaking on the encounter, VeryDarkMan revealed that he underwent hours of questioning before being released in the early hours of the morning.
“I got home around 2 a.m. this morning after spending hours at the DSS office, where I was interrogated and investigated over a video I posted four days ago,” VeryDarkMan said on Thursday. “The investigation was reportedly ordered by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik. I was asked to explain how I obtained the video, and I told them the whole truth.”
During the interrogation, the influencer maintained his innocence regarding the leak itself. He explained to the DSS operatives that because he is a public figure, his phone number is widely available to anyone. He also noted that he uses a Samsung phone, which automatically saves incoming media files even if he does not know the identity of the sender. He stressed to the authorities that he did not create the video footage.