Businessman, Linus “Blord” Ifejirika, has been granted bail after spending weeks in detention at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja over allegations of criminal conspiracy, impersonation, and the unauthorised use of activist Martins “VeryDarkMan (VDM)” Otse’s identity.
Human rights activist and politician, Omoyele Sowore, had earlier criticised the remand. He described it as an abuse of the legal system. He also pledged to secure the entrepreneur’s release.
Recall that Blord was remanded in custody on 1 April until 27 April over the offences.
Mr Sowore later announced the development on Friday through his Facebook page. He said Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court in Abuja granted bail to Blord on self-recognition.
He wrote: “Bail has been granted to Linus Williams, popularly known as BLORD, on self-recognition.
“The court, however, ordered that he deposit his international passport as part of the bail conditions.”
The court directed the 28-year-old to submit his international passport. It also required him to provide two sureties who are persons of good public standing. In addition, the judge instructed him to refrain from making public comments about the case.
Blord’s counsel, Abubakar Marshal, admitted that his client had offended VDM. He added that both parties were making efforts to resolve the dispute amicably.
The disagreement between the two figures dates back to October 2025. At the time, Blord advertised what he described as an “iPhone XR converted to an iPhone 17 Pro Max” and sold it at a high price.
VDM reacted by accusing him of misleading Nigerians. He alleged that the businessman sold refurbished phones at inflated rates. He described the act as fraudulent and warned the public against engaging with him.
The controversy appeared to fade until January, when Blord introduced the “Ratel” application. He said the platform allows users to buy gift cards, PlayStation products, and digital funds using naira or cryptocurrency.
The launch generated widespread reactions online, especially among members of VDM’s Ratel group, which is known for community service activities across the country.
