Court grant Blord bail for impersonation case wit VeryDarkMan
Wia dis foto come from, VeryDarkMan/Facebook/Blord BBC
Di federal high court for Abuja don grant bail to popular Nigeria entrepreneur BLord, wey im real name na Linus Williams Ifejirika, over im court case wit anoda popular social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, wey im popular social media name na Very dark man, VDM.
Di court bin remand BLord for Kuje prison for Abuja since April 1, and e spend 16 days for di prison including di Easter holidays, but Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia dis Friday grant am bail on very liberal condition.
Di trial judge ask BLord to submit im international passport to di court and to produce two sureties wey get good public standing, and make e also no too tok about di mata for public.
Di gbas-gbos between VDM and BLord na sake of accuse say BLord bin impersonate VDM as e use im trademark and im face to advertise im businesses witout permission.
As di mata come up for court for di bail hearing, VDM lawyer tell court say e wan withdraw di counter affidavit wey e bin file to oppose BLord bail, and say e no longer get objection to di bail application.
Our tori pesin for court bin notice how Blord and im lawyers bin dey relate very well wit VDM lawyer bifor di case start, wey show say e be like say dem don start settlement tok out of court.
Afta di court hearing, one of BLord lawyers, Abubakar Marshal, tell tori pipo say true-true im client offend VDM but di two parties dey chook eye on how to settle di mata amicably.
Wen hapun for court
Di Defense counsel bin also apply to withdraw dia response on points of law to di counter affidavit, wey get 13 April 2026 as di date wey dem file am.
End of Di one wey oda users dey read well well
As Prosecution counsel no object, court strike am out object.
Di Defense team tell court say dem get motion on notice for bail of di defendant wey dem bin file on April 1, 2026.
Dem bring di bail application pursuant to relevant sections of di constitution and di Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).
Dem get seven grounds for di bail application, wey dem follow wit 10-paragraph affidavit, wey dey tell court to express dia discretion in favour of granting di defendant bail, on self recognition, and for di interest of justice. Or alternatively, to allow di sureties wey bin carry di defendant on administrative bail from di police, still take am on bail for dis case.
Im say di prosecution don dey cooperative and im no get objection to dia application, wey be di reason why dem bin withdrew dia counter affidavit to di bail application.
Court finally grant di defendant bail, to deposit im international passport wit court, to bring two sureties of good public standing.
Brief background
Linus Ifejirika (BLord) na popular young entrepreneur for Nigeria wey dey into crypto currency trading, while Martins Vincent Otse (VDM) na social media influencer.
Di two bin don dey exchange banter for social media but di court case start afta VDM claim say BLord tiff im trademark 'Ratel', use am open new business, and use im (VDM) picture to print for billboards and flyers to take advertise di new business.
BLord claim say e reach agreement wit VDM and bin pay am for di adverts but VDM maintain say nothing like dat eva hapun, so e report di mata to di Nigeria police, accusing BLord of criminal impersonation and unauthorised use of im image. Na di police file di mata for di federal high court Abuja.
As di mata come bifor Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia on 1 April, 2026, BLord plead not guilty to di charges and di court remand am for Kuje Prison for di Federal Capital Territory, pending wen e go rule on di bail application.
Na dat bail hearing di court hold on Friday, granting BLord bail as e appear like both di prosecution and di defence don begin moves to settle di mata out of court.
Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia adjourn di mata to April 27 for continuation.
