Social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has stirred fresh controversy after receiving a special recognition award from the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) at its 2026 Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The controversial influencer was honoured on Tuesday, shortly after participating in a panel session on insecurity and other pressing national issues, despite not being a legal practitioner.
His appearance at the conference had already generated debate, with some Nigerians questioning why the NBA invited a social media personality to address lawyers and legal professionals.
But rather than ending the controversy, the association’s decision to honour him has added another layer to the discussion.
The award was presented to Otse by the moderator of the session, who acknowledged him for attending the conference and sharing his personal experiences on insecurity in Nigeria.
However, the presentation came with an unusually blunt warning: “On behalf of the president and members of the Nigerian Bar Association, I present this award to you for being here with us and sharing your experience.
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“But please, when you are attacked, don’t kill. Report to the police.”
The remark immediately drew attention, given VeryDarkMan’s reputation for confrontational activism and his history of publicly taking on individuals and institutions.
The award presentation was followed by a photo session involving Otse and officials of the association.
Speaking earlier about the controversy surrounding his invitation, VeryDarkMan insisted that he was not at the NBA conference to 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 subsequently, turned the spotlight on Nigeria’s insecurity crisis, delivering a fiery account of kidnappings, killings and what he described as inadequate media coverage of violent attacks.
“This is not a topic of ‘may I, my lord’ because your lords are being kidnapped,” he said, referring to the reported abduction of a judge travelling from Sokoto State who was kidnapped in Kebbi State on July 26 and released about a week later.
VeryDarkMan also accused Nigerian media organisations of failing to adequately report killings linked to insecurity.
“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 further revisited the June 13, 2025 attack on Yelwata in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, where more than 200 people were reportedly killed and properties worth millions of naira destroyed.
Claiming to have been among the first responders at the scene, Otse gave an emotional account of what he said he witnessed.
“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.
He also made a controversial claim about the Yelwata attack, alleging that it was carried out by Fulani attackers as retaliation for the killing of a Fulani man.
“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 stated.
His claim comes against the backdrop of ongoing legal proceedings over the attack.
The contrast between the activist’s controversial claims, his confrontational reputation and the setting in which he made them has fuelled further debate over the NBA’s decision to give him a platform.
For some, his invitation represents an attempt to bring firsthand experiences and unconventional voices into discussions about Nigeria’s security crisis.
For others, it raises questions about whether social media influence should translate into prominence at a gathering traditionally dominated by legal experts.
Yet, the NBA went a step further by recognising him with an award.
The development has therefore transformed what began as a controversial invitation into one of the most talked-about moments of the conference, placing VeryDarkMan once again at the centre of a national debate.
His award from the NBA is now likely to generate as much discussion as his explosive comments on insecurity, particularly over the question of why one of Nigeria’s most controversial social media activists was not only invited to address lawyers but also honoured by the association.
