Social media personality Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), on Monday, appeared to reconcile with businessman Linus Williams Ifejirika (Blord), when both of appeared for court proceedings, even as he took a swipe at activist Omoyele Sowore.
Speaking outside the courtroom after the session, VDM was seen shaking hands and smiling with Blord, signalling a possible resolution between both parties. However, he attributed the escalation of the dispute to Sowore.
“Ordinarily, like I said, this case would have come to an end but because of Sowore… to show him that I am a man, it’s a thing of pride. It’s not about him or anybody; it’s about Sowore, who thinks I cannot do anything. It’s about showing Sowore that he cannot do anything,” VDM said. The pair exchanged another handshake shortly after.
Meanwhile, legal proceedings took an unexpected turn as the presiding judge reportedly recused herself from the case.
An attorney involved in the matter, Chikezie Elijah, confirmed that both prosecution and defence teams were present and ready to proceed before the development.
“Well, the matter was on trial, and we all know that the case has been in the public domain. Today, the defendant was in court, the prosecution and defence teams were all in court, and we informed the court that we were ready,” he said.
“However, the judge, in a most unlikely event, decided to inform that she would be recusing herself from this case and would send the file to the Chief Judge for reassignment. It was a most unexpected event. To the best of my knowledge, there was no formal application.”
Elijah added that the decision may have been taken to preserve the integrity of the judicial process amid heightened public commentary surrounding the case.
“It is presumed that the court decided to adjourn and send the file back to the Honourable Chief Judge, and this only happens when there is a form of the integrity of the judicial process being tainted in a bad light, just to preserve public confidence—especially with the fact that there has been a lot of social media ranting and name-calling, so it is not too surprising,” he said.
He further disclosed that the matter has been adjourned to May 19 for mention.
The dispute between VDM and Blord began following a public spat on social media, where VDM accused the businessman of questionable business practices, including alleged overpricing and the misuse of his identity in promotions. The matter escalated into a formal legal case after Blord was arraigned on April 1, 2026, on charges bordering on impersonation, forgery, and conspiracy, to which he pleaded not guilty.
LEADERSHIP recalls that in mid-April 2026, Sowore became involved after Blord was detained. The activist criticised Blord’s detention, framing it as a human rights concern.
Following his intervention, Blord was granted bail on April 17, 2026, with conditions including surrendering his international passport. Sowore’s involvement also sparked a sharp backlash from VDM, who accused him of interfering in the case.
🚨BREAKING: Watch The Video Clip Here ➤
