By Newspot Nigeria News Desk
A massive wave of backlash has hit Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) as over 100,000 Nigerians reportedly unfollowed the bank’s official pages and began closing their accounts within 24 hours of the arrest of controversial social media activist, Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM).
The uproar followed allegations that GTBank masterminded VDM’s arrest after he publicly criticized the bank over unauthorized deductions from his mother’s account, which he claimed were falsely labeled as loan repayments.
VDM, in a now-viral video, accused GTBank of making at least seven illegal deductions from the account in 2025 alone and demanded a full statement and accountability from the bank. His efforts to get answers were allegedly met with silence — until his abrupt arrest by police operatives in Abuja.
Human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju, who is representing VDM, condemned the arrest as a “blatant abuse of power” and “an attempt to suppress consumer rights and freedom of expression.”
“My client committed no crime. He merely questioned why his mother’s money was being withdrawn without consent. GTBank must be held accountable,” Adeyanju stated.
The incident has triggered a fierce boycott campaign online, trending under the hashtag #FreeVeryDarkMan, with Nigerians urging mass withdrawal from the bank. Users like @officialpac02 declared, “I’m done with GTBank. Everybody should withdraw their money.” Another, @dunamisfotography, cited poor service and excessive charges as longstanding grievances.
As the protests gained momentum, GTBank’s digital platforms were flooded with over 13,000 complaints, and several users claimed that they had emptied their accounts in protest.
This isn’t the first time the bank has faced similar criticism. In 2024, GTBank was linked to the controversial arrest of four journalists, with the charges eventually thrown out by the court. Just last month, Ariyo Ahmed Adewale claimed the bank was behind his arrest after he staged a peaceful protest at one of its Lagos branches.
So far, GTBank has remained silent on the latest development involving VDM. An earlier statement on a different issue only advised customers to beware of fake accounts online — a comment many now see as tone-deaf in light of growing public outrage.
Observers say the case has broader implications for consumer rights, freedom of speech, and the role of corporate accountability in Nigeria.
Newspot Nigeria will continue to follow developments on this story as they unfold.
Osun Defender
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