- The Federal High Court in Abuja ordered a probe into activist VeryDarkMan over an alleged coup trial video leak
- Justice Joyce Abdulmalik directed the DSS to investigate a possible breach of witness protection
- The prosecution raised the alarm as defence lawyers denied involvement, with a bail ruling set for July
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate a suspected evidence leak.
The prosecution alleged that trial materials served to lawyers of the six men being prosecuted for allegedly attempting to execute a coup plot against President Bola Tinubu were displayed on the internet by the controversial critic, VeryDarkMan.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik directed the DSS to look into the allegation raised by the prosecution that part of the evidence tendered in court had surfaced on social media, Premium Times reported.
Credit: @verydarkman, @asiwajubat
Source: Instagram
She stressed that if any material online contravened the court’s earlier order for witness protection, “the DSS should investigate and bring the perpetrator to book.”
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Prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, told the court midway into the proceedings that he had received information suggesting that videos from the trial had been posted online by VeryDarkMan.
“The same individual was among the audience,” Oyedepo said, urging the judge to order an investigation to determine how the materials got into his hands.
When asked to respond, all six defence lawyers denied involvement. Some insisted that Oyedepo should file a formal application and affidavit before they could reply appropriately.
The court then proceeded to hear the bail applications. While the defence lawyers pleaded for bail on liberal terms, the prosecution urged the court to dismiss the applications.
Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the matter until June 25 and June 30 for the first three defendants to conduct their defence in the trial-within-trial, while the remaining three will take their turn on July 1 and July 2. The ruling on the bail applications was fixed for July 20.
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Earlier, the fourth prosecution witness, identified as “DDD,” testified that statements made by the defendants were voluntary.
He denied allegations of torture, saying: “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 of the chain would have been heard in the video that was played in court earlier on Tuesday.”
The trial continues as the DSS begins its probe into the alleged leak involving VeryDarkMan.
Credit: @verydarkman
Source: Instagram
VDM shares update on NGO’s account balance
Legit.ng recalls reporting that VeryDarkMan (VDM) sparked fresh conversations after sharing an update showing the financial account of his non-profit organisation, the Martins Vincent Otse Initiative (MVOI).
According to the screenshot provided by VDM, as of June 22, 2026, the NGO has raised a lifetime total of ₦691.6 million in donations. Of this amount, ₦671.8 million has been deployed to various projects, leaving a current balance of approximately ₦19.8 million.
In the caption of the post shared via his Instagram Story, the critic also sent a message to his fans on the need to raise more funds soon.
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“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,” he wrote.
Recall that VDM launched his NGO in October 2024 with a focus on public education reform, community development, and clean water projects, among other social impact initiatives.
The NGO gained massive traction shortly after launch, raising over millions in naira, including ₦100 million from music executive Don Jazzy.
Legit.ng also reported that Grammy Award winner Burna Boy donated N150 million to the initiative.
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
Legit.ng previously reported that VDM ignited reactions after sharing a video of his encounter with alleged armed thugs in Ibadan, Oyo state, on Tuesday, June 16, 2026.
Taking to his social media pages, VDM shared a clip of how he and protesters confronted the intruders directly.
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In a caption of the video, the critic claimed the thugs were armed with bottles and stones.
Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng