Di Federal High Court for Abuja don finally grant bail to popular Nigeria entrepreneur BLord, wey im real name na Linus Williams Ifejirika. Di case na between am and social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, wey pipo sabi as VeryDarkMan or VDM. Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia bin give di ruling dis Friday afta BLord spend 16 days for Kuje prison since April 1.
Di judge give am bail on very liberal condition. E ask BLord to submit im international passport to di court and to bring two sureties wey get good public standing. Di court also warn am say make e no too tok about di mata for public. Di whole gbas-gbos between VDM and BLord na sake of accuse say BLord bin impersonate VDM. VDM claim say BLord use im trademark and im face to advertise im businesses witout permission.
As di mata come up for court for di bail hearing, something interesting happen. VDM lawyer tell court say e wan withdraw di counter affidavit wey e bin file to oppose BLord bail. E say e no longer get objection to di bail application. Our tori pesin for court bin notice how BLord and im lawyers bin dey relate very well wit VDM lawyer bifor di case start. Dis one show say e be like say dem don start settlement tok out of court.
Afta di court hearing, one of BLord lawyers, Abubakar Marshal, tell tori pipo say true-true im client offend VDM. But e say di two parties dey chook eye on how to settle di mata amicably. Di Defense counsel bin also apply to withdraw dia response on points of law to di counter affidavit. As Prosecution counsel no object, court strike am out.
Di Defense team tell court say dem get motion on notice for bail of di defendant wey dem bin file on April 1, 2026. Dem bring di bail application pursuant to relevant sections of di constitution and di Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA). Dem get seven grounds for di bail application, wey dem follow wit 10-paragraph affidavit. Dem dey tell court to express dia discretion in favour of granting di defendant bail, on self recognition, and for di interest of justice.
Linus Ifejirika (BLord) na popular young entrepreneur for Nigeria wey dey into crypto currency trading. Martins Vincent Otse (VDM) na social media influencer wey get plenty followers. Di two bin don dey exchange banter for social media but di court case start afta VDM claim say BLord tiff im trademark ‘Ratel‘. E say BLord use am open new business, and use im (VDM) picture to print for billboards and flyers to take advertise di new business.
BLord claim say e reach agreement wit VDM and bin pay am for di adverts. But VDM maintain say nothing like dat eva hapun. So e report di mata to di Nigeria police, accusing BLord of criminal impersonation and unauthorised use of im image. Na di police file di mata for di federal high court Abuja.
As di mata come bifor Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia on 1 April, 2026, BLord plead not guilty to di charges. Di court remand am for Kuje Prison for di Federal Capital Territory, pending wen e go rule on di bail application. Na dat bail hearing di court hold on Friday, granting BLord bail as e appear like both di prosecution and di defence don begin moves to settle di mata out of court.
Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia adjourn di mata to April 27 for continuation. Di whole case don draw plenty attention because na two popular figures for social media and business. Pipo dey wait see how di settlement tok go end. If dem settle am out of court, na dat one go close di mata. But if di settlement fail, di case go continue for court.
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