The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate allegations that controversial critic VeryDarkman leaked part of the evidence from the ongoing coup plot trial against six men accused of attempting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu.
Court Directs DSS to Probe Alleged Leak
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik issued the directive on Tuesday after prosecuting counsel Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, informed the court that videos from the trial had surfaced on social media, reportedly posted by VeryDarkman. Oyedepo noted that the same individual was among the audience during proceedings.
The judge emphasised that if any material online breached the court's earlier order for witness protection, the DSS should investigate and bring the perpetrator to book. All six defence lawyers denied involvement, with some insisting that Oyedepo should file a formal application and affidavit before they could respond appropriately.
Bail Hearing Adjourned
The court proceeded to hear bail applications. While defence lawyers pleaded for liberal terms, the prosecution urged the court to dismiss them. Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the matter to June 25 and June 30 for the first three defendants to conduct their defence in the trial-within-trial, while the remaining three will appear on July 1 and July 2. Ruling on the bail applications was fixed for July 20.
Witness Testifies on Voluntary Statements
Earlier, the fourth prosecution witness, identified as “DDD,” testified that statements made by the defendants were voluntary. He denied allegations of torture, stating, “It is not true. The feet of the defendants were not chained; they walked into the interview room by themselves.” He added that if chains had been used, the sound would have been heard in the video played in court earlier on Tuesday.
VeryDarkman's NGO Financial Update
Separately, VeryDarkman recently shared an update on his non-profit organisation, the Martins Vincent Otse Initiative (MVOI). According to a screenshot, as of June 22, 2026, the NGO has raised a lifetime total of ₦691.6 million in donations, with ₦671.8 million deployed to projects, leaving a balance of approximately ₦19.8 million. He wrote, “Like play like play na almost 1 billion ratels don put for NGO, current balance is N19 million naira... Money don go down, we go need to raise more funds soon.”
Launched in October 2024, MVOI focuses on public education reform, community development, and clean water projects. It gained traction with donations including ₦100 million from music executive Don Jazzy and ₦150 million from Grammy Award winner Burna Boy. The organisation maintains a public financial tracker at mvoi4all.com, emphasising transparency with claims of zero fees and 100% impact on projects.
VDM's Encounter with Thugs in Ibadan
Earlier in June 2026, VeryDarkman shared a video of his encounter with alleged armed thugs in Ibadan, Oyo state. He claimed the intruders were armed with bottles and stones during a protest.
