Last Hope of the Common Man": VeryDarkMan's NBA Panel Invite Splits Nigeria's Legal Community

The Panel That Sparked It

Social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has become the centre of an unusual controversy following his appearance at the 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). Speaking on a panel addressing insecurity, VeryDarkMan alleged that some security personnel were complicit in aiding kidnapping activities and warned that even judges were no longer shielded from abduction risks. His presence at a conference typically reserved for legal professionals quickly drew criticism, most notably from human rights lawyer Femi Falana, who questioned why a non-lawyer was invited to speak on justice-related matters instead of relying solely on legal experts.

A Divided Bar Responds

VeryDarkMan responded to the backlash with a series of videos in which he appeared dressed as a lawyer, a move that further fuelled the conversation online. Lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi entered the debate on the other side, arguing that VeryDarkMan's popularity reflects a deeper crisis of public confidence in Nigeria's justice system rather than any failing on his part. Farotimi contended that a functional police force and court system would leave little room for figures like VeryDarkMan to operate, framing his prominence as a symptom of institutional failure rather than a threat to legal professionalism. The exchange has since drawn commentary from lawyers and members of the public split between defending the sanctity of the profession and acknowledging widespread frustration with slow, costly, and often inaccessible formal justice channels. Some practitioners have argued the NBA itself bears responsibility for the controversy, questioning why a non-lawyer was platformed at its flagship event in the first place, while others insist the reaction says more about the profession's discomfort with public criticism than about VeryDarkMan's suitability to speak.

Why It Matters for the Profession

Beyond the immediate disagreement between two senior members of the Bar, the episode has reopened broader questions about public trust in Nigeria's courts and police, and about how the NBA curates its own flagship conference. Critics argue that inviting non-lawyers to speak on justice and security issues risks diluting the expertise the conference is meant to showcase, while others see it as a necessary acknowledgment that ordinary Nigerians increasingly turn to unconventional advocates when formal institutions fall short. For law students and young lawyers watching the debate unfold, it offers a live case study in how public legitimacy is won or lost, not only through court judgments but through the profession's willingness to engage honestly with why so many citizens no longer see the judiciary as their first resort for justice.