VeryDarkMan Challenges Security Agencies Over Insecurity at NBA Conference
E-ISSN: 2354-4481
By Amadi Marcus
PORT HARCOURT, Rivers State — Social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has challenged Nigeria’s security agencies to adopt a more proactive approach to tackling kidnapping, armed attacks and other forms of insecurity across the country.
Otse made the remarks on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, while participating as a panellist at the Nigerian Bar Association’s 2026 Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
He spoke during a plenary session titled “Known Gun Men,” which brought together lawyers, security officials and other stakeholders to discuss Nigeria’s worsening security situation.
His invitation to the conference had generated debate, with some critics questioning the decision to feature a social media activist at a major gathering of legal professionals.
Responding to the criticism, Otse said his role was not to teach law but to bring firsthand experience of insecurity to the discussion.
“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.
Otse also made a controversial assertion about the identity of those responsible for insecurity, arguing that security agencies should be better positioned to identify criminal networks operating across the country.
“There are no unknown gunmen anywhere. The military men are the unknown gunmen, the immigration, the customs are the unknown gunmen, nobody else,” he said.
He particularly questioned the effectiveness of security checkpoints along major highways, citing the Lagos-Abuja route and the Lokoja axis, where kidnappings have repeatedly been reported.
According to him, criminals can obtain information about travellers and their financial status through routine interactions at checkpoints.
“When you are coming from Lagos to Abuja, along Lokoja axis, you have a lot of kidnappings along that route,” Otse alleged.
He argued that security agencies should move beyond routine checkpoints and intelligence gathering to identifying and dismantling criminal networks before attacks occur.
Otse also criticised what he described as inadequate media coverage of violent attacks and their aftermath, saying the public needs more comprehensive reporting on insecurity and its consequences.
He recalled his presence at Yelwata in Benue State following the June 13, 2025 attack, describing himself as one of the first people to respond to the scene.
The Yelwata attack, which occurred in Guma Local Government Area, resulted in a major loss of lives and displacement. Official and independent estimates of the death toll varied significantly. The Federal Government subsequently prosecuted suspects over the attack, with court proceedings describing the incident as one in which about 150 people were killed.
Otse said his experiences at scenes of violence had exposed him to the human consequences of insecurity, arguing that such firsthand experiences should form part of national conversations about security.
He further noted that insecurity had extended to institutions of justice, citing the abduction of Kebbi State High Court Judge, Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza.
Justice Bunza was abducted from his residence in Bunza Local Government Area on July 26, 2026, but was released on August 3 after spending about a week in captivity. The police confirmed his release and said investigations into the incident had been intensified.
Otse used the incident to underscore his argument that insecurity is no longer confined to ordinary citizens but has also become a threat to members of the judiciary and other institutions.
At the end of the session, the NBA presented Otse with a recognition award for sharing his experiences and perspectives on insecurity.
The conference has continued to attract discussions on Nigeria’s security challenges, the effectiveness of law enforcement institutions and the need for stronger collaboration between legal professionals, security agencies and citizens.
The Nigerian Bar Association’s 2026 Annual General Conference is bringing together members of the legal profession and other stakeholders in Port Harcourt for discussions on issues affecting Nigeria’s justice system, governance and security. Otse’s participation placed the perspective of social-media-driven public advocacy alongside those of lawyers and security officials, amid continuing concerns over kidnapping, communal violence and attacks on communities and public institutions.
