Social media personality Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has used his appearance at the Nigerian Bar Association’s 2026 Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt to raise concerns about insecurity, attacks on Nigerians and what he described as inadequate media attention to violent incidents.
Otse spoke on Tuesday as a panellist at the conference, explaining that his invitation was not based on his being a legal professional but on his experience documenting security-related issues across the country.
He said he was attending the session to share his experiences rather than teach lawyers about legal practice.
“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.
VeryDarkMan also warned that insecurity was no longer an issue affecting only ordinary citizens, pointing to the reported abduction of a judge who was travelling from Sokoto State.
According to him, the judge was kidnapped in Kebbi State on July 26 and spent about a week in captivity before being released.
“This is not a topic of ‘may I, my lord’ because your lords are being kidnapped,” he said.
VeryDarkMan criticises media coverage
The influencer also criticised Nigerian media organisations for what he described as inadequate coverage of killings and attacks blamed on armed groups.
He argued that the public needed greater awareness of the human cost of insecurity and the consequences of attacks on communities.
“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 speaks on Yelwata attack
VeryDarkMan also discussed the June 13, 2025 attack on Yelwata in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, which resulted in widespread deaths and destruction of property.
He claimed to have visited the community after the incident and described witnessing the aftermath of violence.
“I was the first respondent at Yelwata. I was also the first respondent when some women were killed some time ago. I’ve seen blood and seen people burnt alive,” he said.
Otse further claimed that the Yelwata attack was carried out by Fulani attackers as retaliation for the killing of a Fulani boy.
His account comes against the backdrop of ongoing legal proceedings involving suspects accused of participating in the attack.
At a Federal High Court in Abuja in February 2026, a prosecution witness identified as Moses Paul, a team leader with the Intelligence Response Team of the Nigeria Police Force, testified in the case involving nine suspects.
According to the witness, some disgruntled Fulani chiefs allegedly sponsored more than 200 armed men equipped with AK-47 rifles to carry out the attack.
The claims made by VeryDarkMan regarding the Yelwata incident are allegations and should be distinguished from facts established by a court.
Insecurity remains a major national concern
VeryDarkMan’s appearance at the NBA conference comes as insecurity remains a major concern across several parts of Nigeria, with attacks, kidnappings and killings continuing to generate public debate over the effectiveness of security measures.
His comments also brought the issue into the legal community, particularly regarding the safety of judges, lawyers and other professionals who operate within Nigeria’s justice system.