A chief magistrate court in Abuja has issued a warrant for the immediate arrest of popular social media critic VeryDarkMan (VDM) for the alleged criminal defamation of gospel singer Mercy Chinwo.
Presiding judge Emmanuel Iyanna granted the order on Thursday after VDM failed to appear in court despite being summoned on March 5.
Deji Adeyanju, VDM’s lawyer, requested reconsideration, assuring the court he would personally bring his client. However, the magistrate rejected this plea.
Judge Iyanna instructed police and law enforcement agencies to arrest VDM to ensure his appearance in court regarding the alleged charges.
VDM had accused Chinwo of misappropriating funds from performances, claiming she failed to remit them to her former label owned by Ezekiel Onyedikachukwu. He also alleged that Chinwo breached contractual agreements with the label before their separation.
In response, Chinwo, through her lawyer Pelumi Olajengbesi, filed a lawsuit against VDM seeking N1.1 billion in damages.
Onyedikachukwu, known as EeZee Tee, denied the allegations but Chinwo maintains she is a victim of contract fraud. In light of the claims, the record label owner has called for an audit amid accusations of financial misconduct.
