In Nigeria’s social media world, two big activists have been fighting publicly. Martins Vincent Otse, known as VeryDarkMan or VDM, is a bold content creator who calls out celebrities and wrongdoers without fear. Harrison Gwamnishu is a human rights fighter who helps with cases like wrongful arrests, kidnappings, and police abuse through his group, Behind Bars Initiative. What started as a possible team-up for justice has turned into a big online battle full of accusations, videos, and drama. This all began in December 2025 and is still going on as of January 2026. Here’s the simple story from start to now.
How It All Started: The Edo Kidnapping Case
The trouble kicked off in early December 2025 with a kidnapping in Edo State. Some people were taken, and a ransom was paid to free them. Harrison got involved because he often helps in these kinds of situations, like talking to police or families. But soon, stories came out that Harrison might have handled the money wrongly or even been part of the problem.
On December 5, 2025, VDM put out a video saying Harrison had been arrested and was in police custody in Benin. VDM said he was sad about it but claimed he was the one who tipped off the authorities after hearing from victims that Harrison betrayed them. He promised to wait for Harrison’s side of the story once he was out. This video blew up online. Some people attacked VDM, saying he was jealous of Harrison’s work and never talked about Harrison’s good deeds, only the bad stuff. Others said VDM was right to speak up if something was wrong.
While Harrison was locked up for about two weeks, more details came out. One person said Harrison had been in jail before for four years over a similar kidnapping with his old boss, where he was accused of messing with ransom money. A witness who was with Harrison in Benin said VDM was lying about causing the arrest.
Harrison Gets Out and Fights Back
Harrison was released around December 20, 2025. People online mocked VDM with comments like “Harrison is free, shame on VeryDarkMan.” VDM responded with another video, standing his ground. Harrison came home to his family and made his first statement. He said he wasn’t invited by police but went to meet the governor’s chief of staff on his own, and ended up detained for 14 days. He apologized for being quiet and said he wouldn’t talk about the Edo case until another person still in custody was freed. He also started addressing other claims against him.
VDM kept going after influencers who criticized him, asking them to say sorry for spreading wrong info. One lady wondered why VDM was the first to hear about the ransom problems, hinting it might be more complicated.
The Fight Gets Bigger: Fraud Claims and More Videos
By late December 2025, things got worse. VDM moved from the kidnapping to bigger accusations of fraud. On December 31, 2025, he dropped a video called “Unmasking Harrison (Part 1).” He said victims contacted him saying Harrison scammed them. One big claim was that Harrison took 4.4 million naira from a man in 2022, promising to fix a legal problem but never doing it.
Harrison hit back with his own videos. He said he was surprised old cases from 2022 were coming up now, and he was already fixing them. He explained his side, like in one case where he took 600,000 naira from a woman to investigate her father’s wrongdoing, but things didn’t go as planned. He denied being a scammer and got angry, saying VDM was digging up old stuff to hurt him.
VDM wasn’t done. On January 1, 2026, he released more evidence, calling Harrison a liar. He showed things like bank statements or messages to prove Harrison wasn’t telling the full truth. He said this was just the start and more was coming. One new claim was that Harrison sold someone’s car and threatened them with the EFCC anti-corruption agency.
Harrison replied again, strongly denying everything. He said he wasn’t a fraud and explained his work in helping people. But VDM kept pushing, saying Harrison’s stories didn’t add up and dropping direct proof like audio or texts from victims.
Where Things Stand Now in January 2026
As of January 3, 2026, the feud is still hot. VDM has put out more videos with evidence, like how Harrison handled money in different cases. Harrison is fighting back alone, saying he’s not guilty and asking for proof against him. Some people think Harrison is now cornered and might try to save his name by going quiet or finding new ways to respond.
Online, Nigerians are split. Some back VDM for always bringing evidence and say Harrison is a thief who uses activism to make money. Others think VDM is too harsh, maybe jealous, and that Harrison has done a lot of good work that shouldn’t be ignored. Comments range from “VDM is right, Harrison is exposed” to “This is just two pots calling each other black.”
One media person who knew Harrison said she was disappointed and thought he was better than this. Another analyst called it a case of two similar people fighting, like a kettle saying the pot is black.
The drama has everyone talking on social media, with videos getting thousands of views. No one knows if it will end in court, an apology, or more fights. For now, it’s a reminder that even activists can have their own messes. If you’re following, keep watching – more might come out soon.
