Nigerian social media activist Marins Vincent Otse, popularly known as Verydarkman, has publicly challenged Pastor David Ibiyeomie, the General Overseer of Salvation Ministries, following the cleric’s threats to imprison bloggers who publish stories about him or his church.
In recent viral clips, Pastor Ibiyeomie issued a stern warning during a sermon, stating that he would take legal action against anyone who speaks negatively about him online.
The pastor claimed he had already handled similar cases in the past and vowed to continue doing so.
Verydarkman, in a bold video response posted to social media, condemned the pastor’s remarks, accusing him of abusing his influence and attempting to intimidate citizens using the police.
“I know you travel around the world, have you seen anybody using police to lock up people? That means you are using your influence now to say that you can use the police to oppress,” he stated.
The outspoken activist argued that such actions would not be tolerated in more democratic societies, where police conduct thorough investigations rather than act on personal influence.
“You can’t try this in other countries because those police would do their investigations. You cannot command police to do anything whether you are influential or not,” he added.
Verydarkman further criticized the religious leader for contributing to systemic issues in Nigeria, insisting that figures like Ibiyeomie should not be feared.
“That is why I say even the pastors follow spoil the country, but people don’t understand what I was saying. Nobody dey fear you. Who are you that we will fear, are you not a human being?” he said.
The confrontation has sparked widespread discussion online, with many Nigerians weighing in on the boundaries between public accountability and defamation, as well as the role of influential figures in a democratic society.
