Social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has responded to those questioning his invitation to speak at the Nigerian Bar Association’s 2026 Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt.
According to Naija News, VeryDarkMan spoke on Tuesday as a panellist during a session examining insecurity and the experiences of victims of violent attacks.
The NBA’s 66th Annual General Conference is holding in Port Harcourt from August 21 to 28, 2026, under the theme, “Beyond Limits.”
‘I Am Not Here to Teach Lawyers’
Addressing the controversy surrounding his invitation, VeryDarkMan said his role at the conference was not to teach members of the legal profession about the law.
He explained that he was invited to contribute personal experiences gathered from his advocacy and encounters with victims of 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.
He maintained that critics might have misunderstood the focus of the session, which he identified as “Unknown Known Gunmen.”
‘Your Lords Are Being Kidnapped’
VeryDarkMan argued that insecurity could no longer be treated as a distant subject or discussed solely through courtroom procedure because judges, lawyers and other members of the legal profession had also become victims.
“This is not a topic of ‘may I, my lord’ because your lords are being kidnapped,” he told the gathering.
He referred to the reported abduction of a judge travelling from Sokoto, who, according to his account, was kidnapped in Kebbi on July 26 and held for about one week before being released.
The reference was presented as part of VeryDarkMan’s remarks at the conference.
Activist Criticises Media Coverage
The social media commentator also criticised Nigerian media organisations over what he described as inadequate reporting of violent attacks and their consequences.
“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.
He said his position on insecurity was influenced by his experiences at the scenes and aftermath of several violent incidents.
VeryDarkMan described himself as one of the early responders to the Yelwata community following the deadly violence recorded in the area.
“I was the first respondent at Yelwata. I was also the first respondent when some women were killed some time ago,” he said.
He also recalled witnessing victims of attacks and explosions, declaring that he had seen people wounded, killed and burnt during violent incidents.
Yelwata Claim Remains His Account
Speaking about the Yelwata violence, VeryDarkMan claimed that the attack was carried out by Fulani assailants as retaliation following the earlier 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.
The explanation represents VeryDarkMan’s personal account of the motive for the attack and was not independently established in the reports reviewed.
The activist maintained that his invitation enabled him to bring the experiences of victims and affected communities into the NBA’s national conversation on insecurity.
He insisted that meaningful discussions on Nigeria’s security crisis must extend beyond legal arguments and include the voices of individuals who have witnessed the human consequences of violent attacks.
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