Ijeoma Otabor, better known by her stage name Phyna, the Season 7 winner of the Big Brother Naija reality television franchise, has leveled a stunning new accusation against social media critic and activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM).
In a series of posts on X on Sunday, Phyna alleged that VeryDarkMan made sexual advances towards her, and that his subsequent campaign to discredit her was rooted in wounded pride after she refused him.
The allegation adds a sordid new chapter to a saga that has gripped online Nigeria for months, one that has its origins not in celebrity gossip, but in genuine family tragedy.
Phyna’s younger sister, Ruth Otabor, was involved in a horrific accident near Auchi Polytechnic in Edo State, where she was struck by a Dangote truck. The impact was catastrophic doctors were forced to amputate her left leg from the pelvic region, while her right leg, hand, and head sustained serious damage. Ruth, a young mother of two, spent weeks fighting for her life.
Faced with the enormity of the crisis, Phyna turned to one of Nigeria’s most prominent social media voices for help. She reached out to VeryDarkMan in 2025 to assist in seeking justice for her sister. The move made strategic sense. VDM had built his reputation on amplifying cases of injustice and holding powerful institutions accountable.
His involvement proved immediately effective. Following VeryDarkMan’s involvement and Phyna’s public outrage, the Dangote Cement Group pledged to take responsibility for Ruth’s medical care. For a brief moment, it appeared the alliance between celebrity and activist had delivered results.
VDM accused Phyna of cutting off communication after using his platform to draw attention to her sister’s case, claiming she had abandoned him once the Dangote Group reportedly insisted they did not want his involvement.
He also alleged that Phyna’s true goal was a ₦1 billion compensation payout from Dangote, a claim he said would never have been the focus had he been present in those negotiations.
Phyna fired back with equal force. She insisted she had been calling VDM and keeping him updated throughout the process, accusing him of publicly disclosing sensitive details about her sister’s condition without her consent, including recording one of their private phone calls.
Tragically, Ruth Otabor died on August 31, 2025, succumbing to the injuries she had sustained in the Dangote truck accident. Even in death, her case became a battleground.
VeryDarkMan lashed out at President Bola Tinubu, the Dangote Group, and social media influencers, accusing powerful Nigerians of staying silent when their voices could have pressured the conglomerate into acting faster.
Now, nearly nine months after Ruth’s death, Phyna has introduced what she describes as the true motive behind VDM’s actions against her. Marking her late sister’s posthumous birthday on Sunday, May 24, 2026, an emotional Phyna alleged that VeryDarkMan had made sexual advances towards her, and that she had refused him.
“He is someone I held in high esteem, and he switched up on me. When I came online and started seeing that he said I requested ₦1 billion during my late sister’s case, I was shocked because the conversation never happened. Maybe because he said he wanted to sleep with me and I didn’t accept, that was why he started holding grudges against me,” she said.
She did not stop at words. Shortly after VDM publicly denied the accusation, insisting he had never made such advances, Phyna released what she described as leaked WhatsApp messages as evidence.
In the alleged chat, VDM purportedly wrote, “Growing up, I just said I’m sexually attracted to you.” “If we f***, fine; if we don’t buy… make we just f*** na.”
The screenshots detonated across social media, sparking immediate and fierce debate about their authenticity and implications.
VeryDarkMan did not retreat. In a trending video response, he expressed shock at Phyna’s statement, particularly at her claim of having chat evidence. “I just came across a post on Twitter where Phyna said I wanted to sleep with her.
She even claimed she has chat evidence. This is a very big allegation. I would like to see the evidence because I have never told Phyna that I wanted to sleep with her,” he said.
He argued that even if the claim were true, asking another consenting adult for sex should not be treated as an offense or a scandal. He maintained that as long as it was not sexual assault, rape, or an attempt to sleep with a married woman, there was no wrongdoing.
The response did little to quell the storm. Critics noted that the issue was not merely whether a consensual approach had been made, but whether a refusal had resulted in a public figure weaponising his platform against a grieving woman during the most vulnerable period of her life.
The leaked chats triggered mixed reactions, with some social media users questioning the timing and authenticity of the screenshots, while others rallied behind Phyna. Various commentators noted the unsettling pattern of women who rebuff advances, subsequently finding themselves subjected to targeted online hostility a dynamic all too familiar in Nigeria’s digital public square.
For Phyna, the wounds appear far deeper than any social media spat. This is a woman who lost her younger sister while the world watched, argued, and took sides, a woman who says the person she trusted most during that nightmare turned on her the moment she said no.
Whether the courts of law or public opinion will ultimately adjudicate this matter remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the story of Ruth Otabor’s death, the Dangote truck, and the broken alliance between a grieving celebrity and a self-styled people’s champion is far from over.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
At the heart of this story is a grieving sister who sought justice for a family tragedy, only to find herself embroiled in a bitter public feud.
Phyna’s core allegation is simple but serious: that VeryDarkMan, a man she trusted during her darkest hour, turned against her and manipulated public opinion after she rejected his sexual advance.
Whether or not that claim is proven, it raises an uncomfortable but important question: Was a dead woman’s justice case used as a tool of personal vendetta? That is the question Nigerians should be asking.
