Martins Ortse, better known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), a popular social media critic and human rights activist, has denied accusations that he threatened the life of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, following allegations of land grabbing related to the family of the late Colonel Paul Osakpamwan Ogbebor. The deceased was a prominent civil war veteran and the first Nigerian cadet of the Nigerian Defence Academy.
The controversy erupted when the family of the late Ogbebor expressed concerns over the Federal Capital Development Authority’s (FCDA) alleged plan to demolish a N3.5 billion estate developed by the late war hero. The estate, which had been in place for decades, reportedly faced demolition orders despite being a long-standing property in Abuja. Vincent Enoghase, the general manager of the estate, publicly revealed that the FCDA issued a demolition notice, citing the dilapidated state of the property, which he disputed, asserting that the family had been in the process of securing the necessary documentation for the property.
The situation became even more contentious when the Senior Special Adviser to the FCT Minister on Public Communication and Social Media, Olarere Olayinka, responded to the allegations, stating that those accusing the FCT Administration of land grabbing should provide evidence of land ownership. This response was made following VDM’s claim that the FCT Minister had revoked the Ogbebor family’s land titles and granted them to Saravera Nigeria Limited and Kingsley Chinda, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
The controversy reached new heights when a video of VDM claiming that Wike had revoked the family’s property went viral. In the video, VDM also appeared to accuse the minister of allocating the land to political associates, including Chinda, which added fuel to the fire. Additionally, a WhatsApp broadcast surfaced online, allegedly containing threats to the life of Minister Wike, for which VDM was held responsible.
In response to these accusations, VDM took to his Instagram account to clear his name. He categorically denied threatening Wike’s life, asserting, “I did not threaten Nyesom Wike’s life. I am not associated with the WhatsApp broadcast making rounds.” He explained that he had merely appealed to the FCT Minister to reconsider the documents presented by the family, claiming the land titles were legitimate and that the family was the rightful owner.
VDM further clarified that a video he posted regarding the land dispute had been edited and misrepresented to make it appear as though he was issuing a threat. “Someone edited my video with a new caption, making it look like I’m threatening him. Please, I am not associated with threatening anybody’s life; it’s not in my character or nature,” he stated. He emphasized that his video was simply a plea to the minister to review the land documents in light of the family’s legitimate claim.
The activist reiterated his commitment to advocating for justice in a peaceful manner, stressing that he had never resorted to violence in his activism. “The only thing I did in that video was plead with the minister to review the documents because the family are the rightful owners of that land,” he added. VDM expressed his belief in justice, urging the minister to look into the matter without resorting to forceful action.
VDM also posted another message on his social media, where he expressed concern over the FCT minister’s actions. “Currently live at life camp by minister’s gate roundabout where Nyesom Wike has authorised bulldozers to carry out injustice,” he stated, calling for attention to the alleged unfair treatment of the Ogbebor family.
In his subsequent posts, VDM called upon senior officers in the Nigerian military, including generals and majors, to intervene and prevent what he described as an injustice against a national hero. “I am calling on the attention of all military senior officers, majors, generals, and co, it will be a disgrace and a shame to the entire Nigerian armed forces if they let Nyesom Wike do this to someone as great as Colonel Paul Ogbebor,” he declared. He underscored Ogbebor’s legacy, particularly highlighting his contribution to Nigeria’s military history, including his survival of three bullet wounds during the civil war.
The land at the center of the dispute had been allocated to the Ogbebor family in 1984, and VDM argued that the recent actions to revoke the land title were politically motivated. “This land Nyesom Wike has been trying to grab has been a legal allocation document since 1984, and from nowhere, Nyesom Wike has revoked it,” he claimed, alleging that the minister was involved in self-serving actions and had political allies benefiting from the land’s reallocation.
VDM went on to suggest that the minister’s actions were driven by personal interests. He claimed that Wike had conspired with a political elite figure and allegedly transferred the land to a company with ties to the minister’s hotels in Port Harcourt. VDM pointed out that shares in the company were also given to Kingsley Chinda, accusing the FCT Minister of engaging in corruption and land grabbing.
“The revocation of the Ogbebor family’s property and its reallocation to people connected to Wike’s political interests is pure injustice,” VDM asserted. He declared his intention to stand against what he described as a “grave injustice” and vowed to continue speaking out for those whose rights were being infringed upon by powerful individuals.
