Martin Otse, a prominent rights activist known as 'Verydarkman (VDM)', has alleged that Gloria Diri, the wife of Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri, failed to meet her commitment to provide a scholarship for Nancy Wilfred, a young entrepreneur who was assaulted last year.
VDM made this claim in a video posted on his Facebook page on Thursday.
In the video clip, he highlighted Nancy's plight, emphasizing the unmet promise from the First Lady. Nancy, a 19-year-old from Imo State, was assaulted, stripped, and publicly humiliated by a group of four girls in Bayelsa on August 29, 2025. The attack, which was recorded and shared on social media, sparked widespread public outrage.
Following the incident, Mrs. Diri took Nancy into her care on September 3, 2025, and promised to support her education with a scholarship and seek justice for her.
Subsequently, the girls involved in the assault were arrested and appeared before a magistrate court. However, they were granted bail under controversial circumstances, with suggestions that connections to influential politicians played a role.
Reports indicate that Nancy, acting on the scholarship promise, applied for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) to facilitate her university enrollment. However, she reportedly lost contact with the First Lady's office after her application. During a Facebook video posted on March 14, Nancy revealed that only N5,000 was given to her, while her mother received N10,000 from the Gender Response Initiative Team (GRIT) based in Government House, Yenagoa.
Moreover, after leaving Bayelsa for Delta State, both Nancy and her mother alleged that GRIT stopped responding to their inquiries regarding additional support.
Livinus Nwosu, who played a role in rescuing Nancy, expressed disappointment in Mrs. Diri's actions in a Facebook post dated March 13. He criticized her for not following through on her promises and emphasized the minimal assistance provided to the victim.
In response to Nwosu's criticisms, Mrs. Diri initiated a defamation lawsuit against him, claiming he sought to tarnish her reputation and exploit the situation for personal gain. Following this, a magistrate court ordered Nwosu to be remanded for 30 days at the Okaka Correctional Centre, attracting protests from his supporters in Yenagoa.
VDM's Facebook post reiterated that the First Lady had neither provided the promised scholarship nor ensured justice for Nancy. He alleged that the legal action against Nwosu was a reaction to being held accountable for her promises.
He declared, "The promises made were empty. Nancy’s case has turned to a farce under her watch, and she has avoided accountability."
VDM claimed to have advised Nancy to withdraw her court case against her alleged assailants and mentioned he would cover her school fees instead. Nancy indicated her intention to sit for her UTME in April.
In defense of her actions, Mrs. Diri categorically denied the allegations of neglecting her obligations towards Nancy. Through her Press Secretary, Maria Olodi-Osumah, she asserted that she showed genuine concern for Nancy's welfare and attempted to provide medical assistance and educational support.
The First Lady further clarified that she had offered a scholarship, which Nancy allegedly declined, instead requesting a large sum for business startup costs. She mentioned that conflicting reports about Nancy's admission to the University of Port Harcourt delayed the activation of the scholarship.
Additionally, she described a settlement negotiation involving compensation to Nancy amounting to N10 million from the families of the accused, which reportedly did not materialize.
Mrs. Diri also addressed claims regarding the financial assistance given to Nancy and her mother, stating that the funds were for transportation and further aid, which was supposed to be arranged but never occurred. She maintained that she did not influence the legal proceedings against Nwosu and called for due process in the ongoing litigation.
"The responsibility lies with Mr. Nwosu to respond to the allegations raised against him without resorting to sensationalism via social media," she remarked.
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