Nigerians knock VDM over alleged money theft prank

Controversial social media personality, Martins Otse, aka VDM, was roundly criticised during the week for claiming that the alarm he raised last week about N180m missing from an account maintained by his non-governmental organisation was a “prank” on Nigerians.

In a social media post early in the week, he said, “80 per cent of the people that use social media are dumb, and the whole thing that happened with the N180m is a clear opportunity to show you. I deliberately did it just to show you people that you are stupid. No money is missing; my money is secured.

“The way people are so excited about bad news is really sad. I told my website guy, shut down the website, let us use these people to catch cruise (sic). Nobody bothered to ask for evidence. They just went with what is being said. I am so happy I did this.”

However, his claims generated a lot of uproar, with many lambasting him for trivialising something so weighty and playing on the intelligence of people. This was even as some alleged that VDM was trying to do something shady with the money but had to change course because of the disbelief that greeted the initial statement.

Recall that some months back, many Nigerians, including Don Jazzy, had donated millions of naira to VDM, who stated that he would use the money “to improve the quality of education in Nigeria’s public schools”.

A comedian and former Big Brother Naija housemate, Dee One, stated that he would submit a petition to the Inspector General of Police to investigate the missing money claims, alleging that some people had been arrested over the issue. In a video posted on social media, he said, “Do you know the tension that your prank caused the Nigerian community in Ghana? Do you know the effect it had on Zenith Bank (the bank hosting the account)? VDM is smart but Nigerians are starting to see the kind of person he is. If God has blessed you with a platform, don’t use it for things like that…you that has plenty enemies already.”

He also maintained that VDM should share a bank statement from the time the account was opened.

A social media user, Kola Jinadu, wrote, “What VDM did is highly insensitive and should not go unchallenged. How can you claim you are playing pranks over money that was given to you by members of the public for a particular cause? He owes the donors accountability and transparency over whatever happens with that money. If tomorrow, he says he wants to do something, how are we to take him serious, knowing that he could also later claim it is a prank? He can play whatever prank with his money but not with funds that were donated for a cause. That money is not his; it is only in his care as a public trust.”

Another netizen on Twitter, MaryJane Ocholo, argued that VDM caused a lot of fear and tension with his alleged prank. She wrote, “Do you know how many people became scared of what could happen to their money in banks. Nobody should be allowed to play such pranks that involve money. We all know how jittery some people can be, and the kind of panic that kind of thoughtless prank can cause among members of the public. That was distasteful abeg.”