Nigerian activist and content creator Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VDM, has defended TikToker DJ Chicken after his arrest for comments about President Bola Tinubu’s son, Seyi Tinubu.
DJ Chicken, whose real name is Ademola Abiodun, posted a video claiming that President Tinubu could not win re-election in 2027 and said he would kill Seyi Tinubu if the president did win.
He was arrested on Thursday, July 9, 2026, in Ikeja, Lagos State, and taken to Ikeja Police Headquarters.
Lawyer Rotimi Stephen was the first to raise the alarm, alleging on Instagram that the Department of State Services carried out the arrest and appealing for leniency, stating that he believed DJ Chicken was not mentally well.
Content creator Tunde Perry later confirmed the arrest during a livestream, explaining the background to the threat.
VDM said the comments were criminal but argued that the authorities had wasted their time detaining DJ Chicken, since he does not believe the content creator poses any real danger. He said, “You go waste time, say na DJ Chicken you wan go carry. Of all persons, DJ Chicken.”
VDM also acknowledged the reasoning behind the arrest, warning that letting the comments go unpunished could encourage others to make similar threats.
He said, “If you give DJ Chicken a free pass, another person can come out tomorrow and say he will take someone’s life.” He added that people who make such threats publicly are rarely capable of carrying them out, stating that DJ Chicken could at most use his mouth to insult or hurt someone, not physically harm them.
Reactions on Instagram to VDM’s comments were largely supportive of DJ Chicken, with users calling for his release and describing the arrest as unnecessary.
The reaction extended to X, formerly Twitter, where opinions were divided. A user identified as SegunObas repeated VDM’s reasoning, describing the arrest as a waste of effort while conceding that a precedent needed to be set.
Another user, Mellyandyfx001, disagreed, arguing that threats should be judged on the act itself rather than the person’s popularity: “The law should be based on actions and credible threats, not popularity.” A user identified as Abdulsemiu91995 said VDM’s point about setting a precedent was the more important part of his argument.
Other users called for leniency. A user identified as Grabiol01 said the person who arrested DJ Chicken was “catching cruise too” and suggested the authorities knew he did not mean the threat. A user identified as KennethOn27717 said simply that the authorities “should have mercy on him.”
Who is DJ Chicken?
DJ Chicken built his online following through viral TikTok content, including a sound known as “SL Kukuruku.”
He was born on April 10, 1995, in Lagos State and raised in Ogun State. He was previously associated with musician Portable before their friendship ended.
The arrest follows a similar case days earlier involving journalist Zainab Sodiq, who was reportedly picked up by the DSS while covering activist Omoyele Sowore, a development that has drawn separate concern about press freedom in Nigeria.
As of this report time, DJ Chicken remains in custody, and no formal charge has been publicly confirmed.
