Free Verydarkman – Seun Kuti joins call for critic’s release

Afrobeat musician and activist Seun Kuti has weighed in on the controversial arrest of social media critic VeryDarkMan (VDM), describing the situation as a reflection of systemic abuse of power in Nigeria.

Speaking out in a video posted on Instagram, Seun Kuti said he contacted the activist’s lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, who he alleged said that the arrest was linked to an ongoing dispute involving a gospel singer VDM had previously criticised over alleged financial misconduct.

I don’t know if anyone knows what is going on, but I’ve spoken to his lawyer and he said it has something to do with a gospel singer whom VDM had been talking about concerning funds. I don’t even want to mention the person’s name.

How is it possible that what happened to VDM happened? How does something like this happen? This is why Nigeria can never better good, go to any government office and you’d see that they gang themselves up in the office like a cult. Churches are literally the same, so as you people want to boycott gtbank, boycott churches too.

On Friday, May 2, 2025, VDM was arrested at a GTBank branch in Abuja after accompanying a friend. Adeyanju later confirmed the incident, stating, “This is absolutely unacceptable. Demanding accountability is not a crime.”

Stanley Ontop and Seun Kuti have boldly alleged that Mercy Chinwo and “the people of God” had a hand in VeryDarkMan’s recent arrest.

Both men took to social media, pointing fingers and suggesting she played a key role in orchestrating the whole thing.

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— Afrokonnect (@AfrokonnectNG) May 5, 2025

Kuti went on to suggest that GTBank may have been used to lure VDM into custody for his subsequent arrest.

I’m sure the bank was called and told to hold VDM hostage there so they could arrest him. Maybe that’s why his mother’s bank account has issues, to lure him in.

Seun Kuti concluded by emphasising that the implications of VDM’s arrest go far beyond the activist himself.