A fresh wave of controversy has hit social media following a heated dispute between tech entrepreneur Linus Ifejirika, popularly known as Blord, and social media commentator Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), over the ownership of the name “Ratel.”
The long-running rivalry between the two men took a dramatic turn after Blord announced that he had secured legal rights to the name “Ratel” and warned VDM against using it without authorisation.
In a post shared on his Instagram story on January 19, Blord claimed the name had been registered as a business brand and disclosed that his legal team had been instructed to issue a cease-and-desist notice to the activist.
Blord’s announcement immediately sparked intense reactions online, largely because “Ratel” has, over time, become closely linked to VDM and the online community that supports his brand of social advocacy.
Many users interpreted the move as a calculated attempt to strike at the core of VDM’s identity.
The dispute traces its roots to a public fallout between the two in October 2025. At the time, VDM accused Blord of engaging in fraudulent business practices, including allegedly inflating prices of gadgets and luxury items during a China trip said to be aimed at assisting Nigerian entrepreneurs.
READ ALSO:
The accusations triggered months of online exchanges, petitions, and public confrontations, with the feud occasionally spilling into legal territory and resulting in Blord’s Instagram account being briefly unavailable.
The situation escalated further when Blord unveiled a fintech application named “Ratel,” designed to handle services such as bill payments, gift card transactions and cryptocurrency trading.
His decision to trademark the name and link it to a commercial product was seen by observers as blurring the lines between business expansion and personal rivalry.
In response, VDM rejected Blord’s claims, insisting that he had already registered the “Ratel” name in September 2024. He also criticised those who mocked him following Blord’s announcement, stating that some critics wrongly framed the disagreement as an ethnic issue rather than a personal dispute.
In a viral video, VDM challenged Blord to present documentary proof of the trademark, maintaining that public opinion should be guided by facts rather than online narratives.
He further argued that the essence of “Ratel” extends beyond legal filings, describing it as a symbol of strength, resilience and identity that cannot be reduced to paperwork.
Amid the growing backlash, Blord later adjusted the app’s name from “Ratel” to “Ratels,” a move that fueled further speculation and calls from social media users for him to release evidence of the trademark he claimed to have obtained.
The drama took another twist when Blord later suggested that the entire episode was deliberately orchestrated by both parties as a strategic effort to amplify their online visibility.
The unfolding saga has reignited broader debates around intellectual property, personal branding and the increasing overlap between digital influence and business interests in Nigeria’s online space.
