Social media activist and commentator Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has defended his appearance at the Nigerian Bar Association’s 2026 Annual General Conference amid criticism over his invitation.
VDM spoke on Tuesday as a panellist at the conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where discussions focused on insecurity and the experiences of victims of violence.
The NBA conference, which runs from August 21 to 28, has attracted lawyers and other prominent personalities to discuss legal and national issues.
Responding to those who questioned his invitation, VDM explained that he was invited to share his personal experiences with violence and insecurity, rather than lecture lawyers on legal matters.
“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 some critics may have misunderstood the focus of the session, titled “Unknown Known Gunmen.”
According to him, the discussion went beyond courtroom proceedings because insecurity has also 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,” he said.
VDM referred to 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.
He also criticised the media 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.
The activist said his position on insecurity was informed by 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,” the social media activist said.
He recalled witnessing the aftermath of attacks and explosions, including what he described as a 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 described it as a retaliatory assault that followed 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 bring firsthand experiences of insecurity into the discussion, rather than to offer legal instruction to members of the profession.