Why NBA Invited Me to Speak on Insecurity — VeryDarkMan

Why NBA Invited Me to Speak on Insecurity — VeryDarkMan

Social media activist and commentator Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has explained his invitation to speak at the Nigerian Bar Association’s 2026 Annual General Conference, dismissing criticism over his participation.

VDM spoke on Tuesday as a panellist at the ongoing NBA conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where he addressed issues surrounding insecurity and the experiences of victims of violence.

The conference, which began on August 21 and is scheduled to end on August 28, has brought together lawyers and other prominent personalities to deliberate on Nigeria’s legal system and broader national issues.

Responding to critics who questioned his presence at the conference, VDM said he was not invited to teach law but to share his personal experiences of insecurity and violence.

“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.

According to the activist, some of those criticising his invitation may have misunderstood the focus of the session, which he referred to as “Unknown Known Gunmen.”

He argued that the discussion went beyond courtroom procedures, noting that insecurity had increasingly affected members of the legal profession, including judges.

“This is not a topic of ‘may I, my lord’ because your lords are being kidnapped,” VDM said.

He cited the reported abduction of a judge travelling from Sokoto, who he said was kidnapped in Kebbi on July 26 and released after spending about a week in captivity.

VDM also criticised the media for what he described as inadequate coverage of violent attacks and their consequences, arguing that many incidents were not receiving sufficient public attention.

“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 social media commentator said his perspectives on insecurity were informed by what he described as firsthand experiences at several 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.

He recalled witnessing the aftermath of attacks and explosions, including what he described as a Sallah Day bombing in Borno State, as well as incidents involving the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and a post office.

“I have seen blood and seen people burnt alive,” he added.

Speaking about the Yelwata incident, VDM described the violence as a retaliatory attack following 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.

VDM maintained that his participation at the NBA conference was intended to provide perspectives from outside the courtroom and contribute to discussions on the realities of insecurity, rather than to lecture legal practitioners on law.