Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday recused herself from the criminal case filed by the Nigeria Police Force against Linus Williams, popularly known as BLord.
The high court judge who cited the allegations made by Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), for her decision, directed that the matter be returned to the Honourable Chief Judge for reassignment to another court.
The case was subsequently adjourned to May 19, 2026, for mention.
BLord and VDM are both social media influencers competing for dominance.
BLord, 27, is facing a six-count charge bordering on alleged cybercrime, impersonation, and fraud, filed by the Inspector-General of Police.
Court documents show that the charges stem from allegations that the businessman fraudulently used the identity, image, and brand of VeryDarkMan to promote his business ventures, including the Billpoint application.
In one of the counts, prosecutors accused BLord of falsely claiming that VeryDarkMan endorsed his platform as the “number one app” for booking local and international flights, an action said to violate provisions of the Cybercrime (Prevention, Protection, etc.) Act.
Another charge alleges that Ifejirika used his Instagram handle, @mrblordofficial, to mislead the public into believing that VeryDarkMan was his brand ambassador, with the intent of gaining financial advantage.
The prosecution further accused him of making false promotional posts, including claims that the activist would attend a business rally in Onitsha, Anambra State, allegedly to lure unsuspecting members of the public into making financial commitments based on the announcement.
Additional counts include alleged involvement in permitting the use of business premises linked to Blord Group for disseminating fraudulent messages, as well as the creation of fake digital records, including a purported flight ticket bearing the name “Martins Otse.”
The offences are said to contravene provisions of both the Cybercrime Act (as amended in 2024) and the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
BLord has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
His arraignment and subsequent remand followed a petition by VeryDarkMan, who accused the entrepreneur of repeatedly using his name and likeness without consent to promote products and services.
