A prophecy shared by Nigerian pastor Swieve C Christian days before the arrest of social media activist Verydarkman has resurfaced online, sparking widespread reactions.

Verydarkman, known for his outspoken critiques on societal and political issues, was reportedly arrested at the Abuja headquarters of GTBank after accompanying his mother to complain about unauthorised transactions on her account.

The arrest, which allegedly involved the use of force by EFCC operatives, drew immediate public attention and outcry.

In the wake of the incident, screenshots of a Facebook post made by Pastor Swieve on April 22 began circulating on social media. In the post, the cleric appeared to warn the activist about looming trouble if he didn’t act with caution.

The post read:
“A young man known as v d m, if U are not careful, in coming days. The police and situations will make caricature of u. Thread carefully, a snare is by the side.”

Following news of the arrest, Pastor Swieve reshared the prophecy along with a call for prayers.

“Make una pray for my brother oh… no matter what. We don’t play! So stop playing but pray… where are the group of ‘he edited it’?”

The brother of detained activist and social commentator VeryDarkMan (VDM) has raised concerns about his condition following his recent arrest by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Recall VDM was taken into custody after visiting a GTBank branch with his mother to report unexplained deductions from her bank account. The arrest, which reportedly occurred on the bank premises, has stirred significant reactions online.

In a recent video shared on Instagram, VDM’s brother claimed the activist and an associate sustained severe injuries during the arrest and have since been denied medical care.

He expressed frustration that all attempts to secure their release have so far been unsuccessful.

“We’ve followed all the right procedures, yet they won’t release VDM or even allow him and his friend to get medical treatment. We’ve been told they were seriously hurt,” he said.

He also questioned the intention behind the arrest, stating, “I don’t know what agenda the EFCC has against VDM, but this won’t end quietly. Both GTBank and the EFCC know what’s coming.”

As of the time of this report, neither the EFCC nor GTBank has made any public comment on the situation.

Popular Singer And Songwriter Jill Sobule, a groundbreaking US songwriter whose song ‘I Kissed a Girl’ is widely considered the first song with openly-gay themes to crack the Billboard Top 20, has died in a house fire in Minneapolis, Minnesota, her publicist said.

Sobule, whose satirical anthem Supermodel featured in the 1995 coming-of-age film Clueless, was 66.

She had been due to perform on Friday in her home city of Denver, Colorado, to showcase songs from her autobiographical stage musical.

A free gathering will now take place in her honour.

Tributes have been pouring in on social media, including from English musician Lloyd Cole, who said: “I’m really too numb to post much of anything. We loved her. She loved us.”

Born in 1959, Sobule’s career spanned three decades, her music dealing with topics including the death penalty, anorexia, and LGBTQ+ rights.

Her most famous work came on her eponymous 1995 album, which included Supermodel and I Kissed a Girl.

The latter drew renewed attention in 2008 when Katy Perry released a different single of her own with the same title.

Sobule later became a pioneer of using crowdfunding to release albums, and wrote music for theatre and television shows, including the theme for the Nickelodeon show Unfabulous.

John Porter, Sobule’s manager, said she was a “force of nature and human rights advocate whose music is woven into our culture”.

He continued: “I was having so much fun working with her.

I lost a client & a friend today. I hope her music, memory, & legacy continue to live on and inspire others.”

Eric Alper, a Canadian music correspondent, posted on X that she “paved the way with heart, humour, and honesty”, adding that the openly gay artist “changed the soundtrack – and the conversation”.

“Jill Sobule was so special. Heartbreaking news,” American actress Carrie Coon posted.

Police in the suburb of Woodbury are investigating the cause of the fire at the house where Sobule was found, the Star Tribune reported.