By: Odeh Favour Adiya
Social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has hit back at critics questioning his invitation to the Nigerian Bar Association’s 2026 Annual General Conference.
VDM said he was invited to share his experiences with insecurity and victims of violence not to lecture lawyers on legal matters.
He spoke on Tuesday during a panel session at the conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
“There has been a lot of debate about why I was invited to this NBA conference. I’m not here to teach you people law; I’m here to share experience,” he said.
He argued that critics of his invitation had failed to understand the focus of the session, which he described as “Unknown Known Gunmen.”
According to him, insecurity is no longer a subject restricted to courtroom arguments because judges and other members of the legal profession have also become victims.
“This is not a topic of ‘may I, my lord’ because your lords are being kidnapped,” he told the gathering.
VDM cited the reported abduction of a judge travelling from Sokoto who, according to him, was kidnapped in Kebbi on July 26 and held for about one week before being released.
He also accused the Nigerian media of failing to provide adequate coverage of killings and their aftermath.
“When the killings happened, our media are now lazy and they do not really cover these killings and the results of these unknown gunmen,” he said.
The activist maintained that his contribution to the NBA discussion was shaped by what he described as firsthand encounters with victims and scenes of violence.
“I was the first respondent at Yelwata. I was also the first respondent when some women were killed some time ago,” he said.
VeryDarkMan recalled witnessing the aftermath of several attacks and explosions, including an alleged Sallah Day bombing in Borno and incidents involving the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and a post office.
“I have seen blood and seen people burnt alive,” he said.
Speaking about the Yelwata attack, VDM claimed the violence was carried out by Fulani attackers in retaliation for the killing of a Fulani boy.
“In Yelwata, it was Fulani that attacked. It was a retaliation because a Fulani boy was killed and these guys came back to attack,” he said.
His account of the motive behind the attack was presented as his personal claim.
VeryDarkMan insisted that his appearance at the NBA conference allowed him to bring experiences from outside the courtroom into the national conversation on insecurity.
The NBA conference, which runs from August 21 to 28, has attracted lawyers and other prominent figures for discussions on Nigeria’s legal system and wider national issues.
