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A Nigerian court has ordered an investigation into how a VeryDarkMan coup video from a closed security trial ended up on social media. The judge gave the directive after prosecutors said footage of a defendant’s recorded statement had surfaced online, in apparent breach of an earlier order shielding the proceedings from the public.
What the court ordered
During the trial-within-trial, the Director of Public Prosecution, Rotimi Oyedepo, told the court that a video recording of one defendant’s statement had appeared on a social media account belonging to the activist known as VeryDarkMan. He said the clip contradicted a standing order that the sensitive sessions remain private, and noted that the post had already drawn more than 6,000 views before it was flagged.
The prosecutor asked the judge to investigate how the material left the courtroom and reached the public. The court agreed, directing that the source of the leak be traced. Proceedings were adjourned to 25 and 30 June for the first, second and third defendants to continue their defence.
Why the VeryDarkMan coup video matters
The case stems from an alleged coup plot in which several military officers and civilians are standing trial. Because the charges touch on national security, the court had ordered that recordings and statements should not be published. The emergence of a clip online therefore raises fresh questions about courtroom security and the handling of classified evidence.
VeryDarkMan, whose real name is Martins Vincent Otse, is one of Nigeria’s most-followed online commentators, known for blunt videos on celebrity, politics and corruption. He was reportedly among the people seated in the public gallery when the issue was raised. The prosecution did not accuse him of recording the footage himself, but pointed to his page as the place where it was shared.
Defence lawyers respond
All six defence lawyers in the matter denied any involvement in the leak. Some urged the prosecution to file a formal application supported by an affidavit so they could respond properly, rather than rely on remarks made in open court. The judge is expected to take the issue up alongside the main trial when sittings resume.
So far, no individual has been named as responsible for the breach, and no one has been charged over it. Viorah TV is reporting the development without taking a position, as the matter remains before the court and the facts are still being tested.
What happens next
The trial-within-trial will decide whether the defendants’ statements were made voluntarily, a question that often shapes how such cases proceed. With the leak probe now added, the court must balance the rights of the accused with the secrecy attached to a security trial. The next sittings, fixed for 25 and 30 June, are likely to show how seriously the breach is treated.
For now, the order stands: investigators must establish how a recording from a guarded courtroom found its way onto a popular social media feed, and who, if anyone, broke the rules to put it there. Until the court rules, every claim around the clip remains an allegation rather than a finding.
