Verydarkman aka VDM
Social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has issued a public apology to members of Nigeria’s military, police, immigration, and customs services over controversial comments he made at the Nigerian Bar Association’s (NBA) 66th Annual General Conference.
In a video posted on his social media pages on Friday, September 4, 2026, Otse walked back the generalisation in his earlier speech, admitting it was unfair to dedicated security personnel while maintaining that his criticism targeted alleged “bad eggs” within the system.
The remarks were delivered during a panel discussion on insecurity at the conference, held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Otse had referred to military, police, immigration, and customs personnel as “unknown gunmen,” alleging that some officers at checkpoints shared travellers’ information with kidnappers and that elements within the security forces were involved in sabotage and other criminal activities. The comments drew significant backlash and prompted the Nigeria Police Force to invite him to provide evidence for the claims. Otse had responded that he preferred to present any such evidence in court rather than hand it over directly to the police.
Reflecting on the speech, Otse said: “I don’t think I was fair to a lot of people, particularly the speech where I said that the military are the unknown gunmen, the police are the unknown gunmen, you know, the immigration, the customs. I know exactly what I was trying to say because, I mean, I have evidence to back up my claim, but I wasn’t fair to a lot of people in that speech.”
He specifically singled out soldiers on the front lines: “That speech was not fair, especially to the soldiers that are in the bushes fighting Boko Haram to protect our lands, to protect our lives, and to protect our families. I don’t think it’s fair to say they are also the unknown gunmen, to be very honest, because these people have laid down their lives.”
Otse directed a formal apology to the Chief of Defence Staff, requesting that it be passed on to troops in the field. “So I will go further to say to the Chief of Defence Staff, Sir, I really want to apologise for that speech, and I don’t want to discourage your boys. Please extend my apologies to your boys, to the ones that are in the bush protecting our lands.”
He extended the apology to police, customs, and immigration personnel, as well as to the families of officers who have died in service: “To the families of these heroes that might have also felt offended by this speech, knowing fully well that their brother, their sister, their son, their husband fought and died for this country, I am really, really sorry.”
In the accompanying caption, Otse urged followers to share the video widely with relatives or friends in the security services, stating that his original remarks were aimed at saboteurs and corrupt elements, not the patriots risking their lives for Nigeria. He emphasised: “PLEASE DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED by my speech at the NBA conference… I apologize to the patriots sacrificing for our great nation, THE MILITARY, THE POLICE, IMMIGRATION, CUSTOMS.”
While withdrawing the blanket characterisation, Otse stood by his broader concerns about misconduct. He said there are “a lot of bad eggs,” including corrupt senior and junior officers, but insisted “there’s still a lot of more good people.” He noted that he sometimes shares information with police for operational purposes and warned alleged saboteurs that “your days are numbered.”
The apology comes amid ongoing national debates over insecurity, including banditry, kidnappings, and attacks attributed to “unknown gunmen.” Otse’s invitation to speak at the NBA event had already generated controversy, with figures such as Senior Advocate of Nigeria Femi Falana questioning the suitability of a social media activist addressing specialised security matters at the lawyers’ conference.
Reactions to the apology video have been mixed on social media, with some users praising Otse for showing reflection and others questioning the timing or sincerity of the U-turn. As of publication, there has been no official response from the military or police hierarchy to the latest statement.
Otse, who styles himself as an “online police” and has built a large following through exposés and activism, continues to position his commentary as advocacy for accountability within Nigeria’s security architecture while seeking to avoid demoralising those serving on the front lines.
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