BREAKING: B-Lord bail hearing stalls as judge becomes ‘unreachable’ after police withdraw opposition

The bail application filed by Nigerian cryptocurrency entrepreneur and founder of Blord Group, Linus Williams Ifejirika, popularly known as Blord or B-Lord, has taken a new turn at the Federal High Court in Abuja, leaving the matter uncertain.

Very Nigerian earlier reported that the police had filed a motion seeking to withdraw the counter-affidavit they had initially submitted to oppose Blord’s bail request.

The sudden move by the police has added fresh confusion to the case, as the court proceedings continue to draw attention over the handling of the bail application involving the popular crypto businessman.

However, proceedings in the matter could not continue as the presiding judge was reportedly unavailable in court, SaharaReporters learnt on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, sources told Very Nigerian on Wednesday that proceedings on the matter stalled after the police unexpectedly withdrew their counter-affidavit opposing B-Lord’s release, an action that should ordinarily have paved the way for a swift bail hearing.

However, in what insiders describe as a deeply troubling development, the presiding judge, who was scheduled to resume sitting on Tuesday to hear the application, has reportedly become unreachable.

“The police withdrawal of their counter-affidavit should have cleared the path for an expedited hearing,” a source familiar with the case said.

“Instead, what should have been a straightforward bail consideration has now descended into silence, delay, and procedural ambiguity.”

The development has stirred concerns over transparency and judicial accountability within Nigeria’s legal system, while questioning whether the delay is due to administrative lapses or possible behind-the-scenes interference.

“This pattern is becoming all too familiar: once the prosecution’s case weakens, the system stalls. Is this administrative inefficiency, or a deliberate attempt to prolong detention under the cover of judicial absence?” the source asked.

“Every passing day without a hearing is another day of liberty denied, not by law, but by dysfunction.”

Very Nigerian earlier reported that the legal team of B-Lord requested an expedited hearing of his bail application after he was remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja.

In a letter dated April 2, 2026, issued by Dunu Chambers, his lawyer, Chukwudi Chikelue, urged the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to assign a vacation judge to hear the bail application urgently on April 8 or 9.

The defence noted that B-Lord was arraigned on April 1 before Justice R.N. Ofili-Ajumogobia in a case filed by the Nigeria Police Force. Although a bail application was filed immediately after arraignment, it could not be heard that day, and the matter was adjourned to April 27, 2026, for trial.

B-Lord was subsequently remanded for 26 days over allegations of criminal conspiracy, impersonation, and unauthorised use of a public figure’s identity.

The case followed a petition by social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, who accused him of using his name and image without consent to promote business ventures.

In a video posted on his Facebook page, VeryDarkMan accused B-Lord of forging documents, printing promotional materials with his face, and falsely claiming a multi-million-naira endorsement deal.

“As you all know, Mr. Linus forged flight tickets with my name ‘Martins Otse’ and claimed I was coming to Onitsha to join him in launching his Blunt Gadget app,” VeryDarkMan wrote.

“He also claimed he paid me N500 million to be his brand ambassador and said I approved the Billpoint app. He printed a billboard with my face on it and claimed I was his ambassador without my permission. He also printed different fliers with my face on them claiming we had an agreement.”

The influencer insisted that none of the claims were true, adding that he had consistently refused promotional deals on his social media platforms.

“All of these are false because I, Martins Vincent Otse, have boldly written on all my social media bios that I do not take adverts or promotions,” he stated.

VeryDarkMan also revealed that he had previously rejected lucrative endorsement offers in order to maintain what he described as the integrity of his brand.

“It will also interest Nigerians to know I have turned down ambassadorship deals worth over N700 million because I intend to use my brand for something meaningful,” he added.

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