I Faked the Missing N180m Story to Experiment Social Media Reaction — VeryDarkMan

Controversial social media activist, Martin Otse, better known as VeryDarkMan, has confessed to fabricating the story about ₦180 million allegedly going missing from his NGO’s account. He explained that the hoax was part of an experiment to highlight how Nigerians quickly believe and spread unverified information on social media.

In a video posted to his Instagram, VeryDarkMan addressed the backlash and clarified the reason behind the stunt.

“Alright, since the ₦180 million went missing from the NGO account, I have been seeing a lot of comments that I never expected,” he said. “But I really want to thank God because everything I do on social media, I do it because this is who I am. I didn’t do it to seek public validation.”

The activist, known for advocating for victims of scams and raising awareness about fraud, expressed frustration over the negative comments he received. He reflected on how people vilified him without considering the context or verifying the claims.

“I saw all those comments, and I asked myself, what is my offence? All I do on social media is advocate, help people reclaim their money, and create awareness so people won’t be scammed. Most times, I even put my own money into these efforts, sometimes borrowing, because I want Nigeria to be a place where people have a voice,” he explained. “Some people were even insulting my mother, calling her a thief,” he added.

VeryDarkMan condemned how quickly social media users jumped to conclusions without critically analyzing the situation.

“You know 80% of the people that use social media are stupid, right? This whole thing is a clear opportunity to show you. I deliberately did it to show you people that you are stupid,” he declared.

He questioned why no one bothered to scrutinize the story, asking, “We are in a country where anything said on social media, nobody bothers to check, nobody investigates. Everybody just shares it and runs with it. They don’t even stop to think; they just want to comment.”

Mocking the spread of the false narrative, he continued, “Boom! They just want to comment: ‘₦180 million is missing, VeryDarkMan is a thief.’ Nobody asked, ‘Wait, the VeryDarkMan we know—if ₦180 million went missing from his NGO account, would he be going to Jos instead of Abuja, where the police, EFCC, and cybercrime headquarters are located? What would he be doing in Jos?’”

The activist also criticized the culture of misinformation, comparing his fabricated story to other unverified claims.

“The whole media has been spoilt, has been ruined. That’s why one man from Niger came recently and said the French government gave Tinubu money to open a military base in the North East. Nobody stopped to ask, ‘Did this man present any evidence? Did he show a video or proof of the foundation being laid?’ He just said it, and boom, that’s it!”

Reiterating his point, VeryDarkMan bluntly declared, “80% of you on social media are very, very stupid.”

His revelation has sparked a heated debate. While some supported his message about digital literacy and the dangers of misinformation, others criticized his approach as deceptive and manipulative.