Tbitter online feud between tech entrepreneur, Linus Ifejirika, aka Blord, and social media activist, Martins Otse, widely referred to as VeryDarkMan, has continued to generate ripples across social media.
The duo, who has been locked in a long-drawn battle of wits for months, took their rivalry to another level when Blord allegedly moved to legally secure the name “Ratel,” a term long associated with VDM’s loyal supporters.
The latest twist emerged on January 19, 2026, when Blord announced via his Instagram story that he had officially trademarked the name “Ratel” as a business brand and had instructed his lawyer to issue a cease-and-desist letter to VDM, demanding that the outspoken critic immediately stop using the term without his express permission. “I have directed my SAN to issue a cease and desist to VDM to stop using my brand name ‘Ratel’. He will have to get my approval henceforth before using that name Ratel,” Blord wrote, triggering a storm of reactions online.
The controversy is rooted in a long-running feud between the two men dating back to October 2025, when VDM publicly accused Blord of business fraud and overpricing items such as phones and cars, among other allegations, during a trip to China allegedly aimed at helping Nigerian entrepreneurs source cheaper goods. The dispute soon spiralled into public back-and-forths, petitions to authorities, heated social media exchanges and, at one point, the temporary disappearance of Blord’s Instagram account amid the rift.
Saturday Beats reports that the term “Ratel” has been widely used by VDM to describe his supporters and has become synonymous with his online identity and brand of social activism.
Consequently, Blord’s decision to name a new app “Ratel” — a fintech platform designed to facilitate gift card purchases, bill payments and cryptocurrency transactions — and to secure its trademark was viewed by many observers as a provocative strategic move that blurred the lines between business ambition and personal rivalry.
Blord’s action also reignited broader conversations around intellectual property rights and personal branding in Nigeria’s rapidly evolving digital landscape.
However, not one to back down, VDM fired back, insisting that he had trademarked the name “Ratel” as far back as September 2024. He also lashed out at critics who mocked him following Blord’s announcement, claiming that many Igbo people misinterpreted his dispute with Blord as an attack on their ethnic group.
In a video response that has since gone viral, VDM dismissed Blord’s assertion and challenged him to produce evidence. “Bring out your certificate and approval, I am waiting,” he said, accusing the businessman’s supporters of failing to verify facts before taking sides. He further vowed to expose what he described as the gullibility of those who believed Blord had outsmarted him with the trademark move.
Beyond the legal argument, however, VDM framed the dispute as more than mere paperwork, insisting that the identity behind the name transcends formal registration. He had earlier declared, “I just heard that somebody has trademarked the Ratel. There can only be one Ratel. Being the Ratel goes beyond trademark; it’s part of you — it’s spiritual, physical, dominance, resilience, doggedness.”
In a surprising turn, Blord later changed the name of the app from “Ratel” to “Ratels,” even as many netizens called on him to publicly release the trademark certificate he claimed to have obtained, especially in light of VDM’s assertion that he secured the trademark first.
However, the controversial businessman subsequently made an about-face, alleging that the entire episode was planned and scripted by him and VDM, claiming the drama was a calculated move to boost their respective brands.