Social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has apologised to Nigeria’s security personnel and families of fallen officers over his controversial “unknown gunmen” remarks at the Nigerian Bar Association’s 66th Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Key Highlights
VDM apologises for describing military, police, immigration and customs personnel as “unknown gunmen.”
Activist says his choice of words was unfair to patriotic security officers.
VDM specifically apologises to soldiers fighting Boko Haram and other security threats.
He extends the apology to police, customs and immigration personnel.
Families of fallen security officers also receive his apology.
VDM maintains his concerns about alleged corruption and sabotage within security agencies.
He says his criticism was directed at alleged “bad eggs,” not the entire security establishment.
The activist urges Nigerians to support security personnel genuinely protecting the country.
In a video shared on Friday, VDM acknowledged that his remarks created the impression that he was accusing the entire security establishment of criminal activities.
He said his intention was to draw attention to what he described as alleged misconduct by some personnel, including corruption, information leaks and sabotage.
“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,” he said.
VDM Apologises to Soldiers Fighting Boko Haram
VDM said his comments were particularly unfair to soldiers serving in difficult environments and fighting Boko Haram and other security threats.
He acknowledged that describing military personnel as “unknown gunmen” could discourage officers risking their lives to protect Nigerians.
“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,” he said.
The activist subsequently apologised to the Chief of Defence Staff and the leadership of the security agencies.
“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,” he said.
He also extended the apology to serving personnel in the police, customs and immigration services.
VDM Apologises to Families of Fallen Heroes
VDM expressed regret to relatives of security officers who had died while serving the country.
“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,” he said.
However, the activist did not withdraw his broader concerns about alleged misconduct within the security agencies.
He maintained that there were allegedly “a lot of bad eggs” among security personnel, including officers whom he accused of corruption and other forms of misconduct.
Read also:
- Ekiti Police Arrest Suspected Cultists, Ritualists, Theft Syndicate, Recover Gun, Phones, ATM Cards
- Clippers Hit With Record $30 Million NBA Fine Over Kawhi Leonard Pay Scandal
- Lawyers Demand Audit, Rerun Of Disputed 2026 NBA Presidential Election
“But there’s still a lot of more good people, a lot of more good people, and I know a lot of them,” he said.
VDM also maintained that his criticism was targeted at personnel he alleged were involved in sabotaging security operations, leaking information or assisting terrorists.
“But then again, to the bad eggs, your days are numbered,” he declared.
VDM’s NBA Conference Remarks Sparked Controversy
The apology comes days after VDM’s appearance at the NBA conference generated significant controversy.
His invitation to speak at the conference and the remarks he made attracted criticism from sections of the legal community.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, had questioned the decision to invite VDM to address the conference, arguing that specialised discussions should be handled by experienced professionals.
VDM subsequently defended his invitation and later responded to the backlash by appearing in a lawyer’s wig and gown in another video.
VDM, Police Dispute Over Kidnap Allegations
The activist has also been involved in a separate confrontation with the police over allegations concerning security officers at checkpoints.
VDM had alleged that some police officers at checkpoints provide information about wealthy travellers to kidnappers.
The police challenged him to provide evidence supporting the allegation, while VDM dared the authorities to charge him to court, saying he would present his evidence.
VDM Clarifies His Position
In his latest video, VDM stressed that his criticism of alleged misconduct should not be interpreted as an attack on the entire security establishment.
“I actually know more than the people I was trying to communicate with, so it was not really communicated properly,” he said.
He ended his message by urging Nigerians to support soldiers, police officers and other security personnel genuinely risking their lives to protect the country.
“And to the patriots, to the heroes, to our fallen heroes that have died to protect this country… I am really, really sorry,” he said.
“Keep on fighting for our beloved country, God bless all of you. We Nigerians are with you.”
