Grammy Award–winning Afrobeats star Burna Boy has made a powerful humanitarian gesture by gifting popular activist and social commentator Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), the sum of $100,000.
VeryDarkMan disclosed the donation on December 26 via his social media page, explaining that the money, estimated at ₦150 million, will be used to give a “new lease of life” to vulnerable Nigerians.
According to him, the funds will be shared equally between prisoners and hospital patients. He revealed that ₦75 million will be used to pay fines for inmates who have remained behind bars solely because they are unable to afford relatively small fines, while the remaining ₦75 million will go towards clearing hospital bills for patients receiving treatment in government-owned hospitals.
VDM stressed that many inmates have been imprisoned for years over fines as low as ₦30,000, ₦50,000, or ₦300,000, describing the situation as heartbreaking and unjust.
“The money is in my custody while we do proper documentation for their release,” he said, adding that he plans to gather data on fined prisoners across all 36 states to ensure the funds are fairly distributed. A similar process will be followed for hospital bill payments.
Expressing gratitude, VeryDarkMan publicly thanked Burna Boy for the trust and generosity shown.
“Thank you Burna Boy for this kind gesture. God bless you. And thank you for trusting me with this money, believing that I will carry out this project,” he wrote.
The announcement has sparked widespread reactions online, with many Nigerians applauding Burna Boy for using his platform and resources to support meaningful social change, while also commending VeryDarkMan for channeling the donation toward humanitarian causes.
The initiative is expected to impact dozens of lives as beneficiaries head into 2026 with renewed hope and freedom, reinforcing Burna Boy’s growing reputation not just as a global music icon, but also as an artist deeply committed to social responsibility.
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