Social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has explained the reasons behind his strained relationships with singers Davido and Zlatan, linking the disagreements to the campaign for justice for late singer Mohbad.
In a video shared on his Instagram page, VDM said he initially questioned Naira Marley over Mohbad’s complaints about Marlian Records before expanding his inquiries to other circumstances surrounding the singer’s death.
He recalled becoming close to Davido after the singer followed him on social media in 2024, describing the development as exciting because of Davido’s international profile.
According to VDM, their relationship became friendly, and he regularly promoted Davido’s music. He also claimed that their private conversations on Instagram usually involved the singer asking him for favours, rather than him seeking assistance from Davido.
However, he said their relationship changed in 2025 after he obtained a WhatsApp group conversation which allegedly showed that individuals close to Davido were involved in plans that led to his arrest in 2024.
“One thing that brought us together is the same thing that divided us, right? What is it? Justice for Mohbad,” he said.
“In 2023, when Mohbad died…everybody was in one direction.
“Then Davido followed me around 2024; I was excited when Davido followed me because Davido is a star. An International star. He followed me; after that, we became cool. If he drops music, I would show love by promoting. We have a couple of relationships in the DM but to be very honest, it is always him asking for the favour.
“I have never asked him anything or for him to do something for me before. Like that, we became pals. 2024, I was arrested; I stayed close to a month in detention, and I was moved to Kuje prison, and I stayed in Kuje prison. Eventually, I was released, and I continued doing what I was doing.”
VDM said he was arrested in 2024, detained for nearly a month and subsequently transferred to Kuje prison before his release.
He alleged that his arrest was orchestrated because he continued asking questions about Mohbad that some members of the group found uncomfortable. He further claimed that their objective was to bring Naira Marley down rather than pursue justice for the late singer.
“Come 2025, I laid my hands on a WhatsApp group chat that had Iyabo Ojo, Tonto Dikeh, Samklef, K-Solo, Drey DMW, Aloma DMW… I then found out that it was from this group chat that they planned my arrest,” he said.
“Why did they plan my arrest? Because I was asking questions about Mohbad that they didn’t like. So it looked like my questions were a distraction from the agenda that they had on the ground.
“Trust me, the thing about the chats was not for justice for Mohbad, as against the reason why they seem to have created the group; it was just ‘Naira Marley must go down’.
“So when I found this out, I was surprised that me and Davido, we dey cool. I dey see hin crew guys we dey laugh, how come these guys na them still plan my arrest? When I go spend months for Kuje.”
The activist said he repeatedly called Davido to seek an explanation about the alleged conversations but received no response.
He added that he later came across a blog post suggesting that he wanted to record a telephone conversation with Davido and use it to blackmail the singer. VDM described the development as “a betrayal”.
“So I released some parts of the chat, and I called Davido. His phone rang; he didn’t pick. I felt like maybe he was busy, after like two, three hours, he posted something then I said okay is active,” he said.
“I called him again; he didn’t pick up because I wanted to know if his boys na them plan my arrest in 2024. What did I do? …and what do you know about this justice for Mohbad? And why was I arrested?
“Next thing I saw, Cutejuls, a blog associated with Iyabo Ojo, Tonto Dikeh and all the DMWs, then posted and said: Verydarkman is trying to call Davido, and Davido is not picking. Then he goes to the comment section and adds that he wants to call Davido and record the call and use it to blackmail him.
“That was cold; that was betrayal. He didn’t want to have that conversation for reasons best known to him, because tell me, why are your boys in such a WhatsApp group?
“I went into his DM and told him things. As e dey be like this, if I see you here, I pass another place. As a matter of fact, they even put free Verydarkman join and na them plan my arrest.”
VDM further alleged that some members of the WhatsApp group were more interested in settling personal scores with Naira Marley than seeking justice for Mohbad.
He also claimed that members of the group tried to persuade singer Zinoleesky to leave Marlian Records during the controversy, but that the singer declined.
On Zlatan, VDM criticised the rapper for not speaking up during the initial campaign for justice for Mohbad. He also accused him of using the attention surrounding the singer’s death to promote their collaborative track, ‘Account Balance’.
The activist said he no longer wanted to associate with either Davido or Zlatan.