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Says, “You know where these people are”
Social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has accused security agencies of failing to act against perpetrators of kidnapping and violent attacks in Nigeria.
Speaking at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) 2026 Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Tuesday, VDM told a panel that included the Inspector-General of Police and other security chiefs that they know who the unknown gunmen are.
He bluntly said: “You people know where these people are. You people know these ‘unknown gunmen’. But nothing is happening.”
The activist continued: “There are no unknown gunmen anywhere. The military men are the unknown gunmen, the Immigration, the Customs – they are the unknown gunmen. Nobody else.”
He expressed concerns about the number of police checkpoints on Nigerian highways, yet kidnapping and other violent attacks continue to increase.
“Surprisingly, we have a lot of checkpoints in Nigeria (police checkpoints); when you’re traveling from Lagos to Abuja, Lokoja axis, we have a lot of checkpoints. There and then, a lot of kidnapping happens around that route. Do you know why?”
The social media activist explained: “When you pass with a car, you will meet a checkpoint, the policeman tells you to wind down the car glass, open your boot – you open it. Believe me, everybody knows who is rich, who is poor, and everybody knows the people that belong to the middle class.
“So, when they look at you and you pass, when you pass, they make that call and say ‘the red Corolla, somebody is there that can pay’. Do you understand? It’s not rocket signs. It’s not.”
He said insecurity had reached the judiciary, citing the reported abduction of a judge travelling from Sokoto who was kidnapped in Kebbi on July 26 and held for about a week before being released.
“This is not the topic of ‘if I may, my Lord’, because a lot of your lords are being kidnapped,” he said.
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On first-hand accounts from flashpoints, VDM said his views were shaped by being a “first respondent” at scenes of violence.
“I was the first respondent at Yelwata. I was also the first respondent when some women were killed some time ago,” he stated.
He also referenced witnessing aftermaths, including a “Sallah Day bombing in Borno” and attacks linked to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.
“I have seen blood and seen people burnt alive,” he said.
On the Yelwata killings, he described it as “a retaliation because a Fulani boy was killed and these guys came back to attack.”
On media coverage of violence, the activist faulted Nigerian media for what he called poor coverage of attacks.
“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.
On the purpose of his NBA invitation, the social media activist said: “There has been a lot of debate as to why VeryDarkMan is invited. I am not here to teach you the law. I am here to share an experience.”
He argued that the session was not just about courtroom arguments because insecurity was already impacting judges and lawyers.
