VDM vs Bobrisky: Nigerians fault Reps’ priorities, intervention
01 October 2024 |
3:31 am
Mixed feelings were expressed yesterday regarding the visit of Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), to the National Assembly. VeryDarkMan was scheduled to testify before the House of Representatives joint committee on financial crimes and reformatory institutions.
HURIWA slams ‘kangaroo court’, backs Otse on corruption in prisons
Mixed feelings were expressed yesterday regarding the visit of Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), to the National Assembly. VeryDarkMan was scheduled to testify before the House of Representatives joint committee on financial crimes and reformatory institutions. He was expected to address bribery allegations against officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Haliru Nababa, the Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).
Dressed in traditional attire, VDM strolled into the green chamber with his lawyer, Deji Adeyanju. He, however, declined to speak further on the allegations by Idris Okuneye, fondly called Bobrisky, that officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Nigerian Correctional Service demanded N15 million from him to serve his prison term in a VIP section of the Kirikiri Medium Custodial Centre, Lagos.
Invited to the podium to brief the Investigating Committee, VDM said, “I don’t know why I am here, and the person who made these allegations is not here. Bobrisky said in the voice note that there is a godfather. Maybe the godfather told him not to come.
“He has disrespected this committee by not coming here. You are already threatening me with arrest. If you detain me, I will stay in the cell. If Bobrisky is not here, I will not say anything. If I say anything, let me die.”
At the time of filing this report, committee members were prevailing upon him to speak on the allegations, assuring him that Bobrisky would similarly face the panel.
Reacting to the development, iDAN @danbanamanager tweeted: “VDM and APC are clearly working together, and if you haven’t realised this yet, it’s unfortunate.
“Fisayo, a respected journalist with a solid background, exposed corruption in Customs, yet the House of Assembly didn’t summon him. Instead, the government is trailing him with DSS. Meanwhile, someone who sets up a ring light and spews nonsense is getting invited to discuss the well-known issue of wealthy individuals receiving special treatment in prison. Open your eyes and minds to recognise the distractions. Or are you all mad?”
For his part, @dedotz55 tweeted: “So this VDM dude made it to the Senate before discussions/solutions about how to reduce food and fuel prices, which are more critical to life. I am disgusted at how Nigerians can elevate the most nonsensical, most senseless, most irrelevant issues to the national level.”
Also, Faisal Uba Yusuf @FaisalUbaYusuf3 tweeted: “VDM & Bobrisky are the priority of a very unserious government. They can invite him, but they couldn’t invite David Hundeyin & Dan Bello, who published very powerful exposés against the politicians. Show me a country that won’t make it, & I will show you Nigeria.”
Zeek @I_Zeek663 tweeted: “ Is it only me? This Bobrisky and VDM thing looks like a wonderful distraction tactic by FGN. I might be wrong, though. I’m just thinking.”
Similarly, Renaissance Man @uche_alua wrote: “Is this about the defamation charge by Falana against VDM? How is it a house of representatives issue? Shouldn’t it be handled by the police authorities and court?”
Meanwhile, the national coordinator of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), Emmanuel Onwubiko, described VeryDarkMan as a “national apostle” for exposing corruption within the Nigerian prison system.
Onwubiko stated that regardless of public opinion about VeryDarkMan, his revelations about prison conditions align with findings from previous undercover investigations.
He highlighted the deep-rooted corruption within the system, stating that “the prison is rotten.” Onwubiko further alleged that wealthy individuals often bribe prison officials to avoid incarceration or to secure preferential treatment.
He claimed that some prisoners, including former governors, rarely stay within prison walls, opting for hotels and other accommodations instead. They only appear in prison for publicity purposes or staged family visits.
The HURIWA coordinator criticised the government’s response, arguing that a discreet investigation involving confidential interviews with inmates and whistleblowers would be more effective than a public panel.
He dismissed the proposed panel as a “kangaroo court” that would yield no meaningful results.
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