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Social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has defended his appearance at the Nigerian Bar Association’s 66th Annual General Conference, following criticism from human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana.
Otse responded to Falana’s remarks in a video shared on his social media page on Friday, arguing that his personal experiences with insecurity gave him a legitimate basis to contribute to discussions on the issue.
Falana had questioned the decision by the NBA to invite Otse to speak at its conference, arguing that speakers addressing lawyers on specialised subjects such as national security should possess relevant expertise or direct experience.
Reacting to the criticism, Otse described the controversy surrounding his invitation as a manifestation of classism.
“The problem these people have is that the son of a nobody was invited to come and speak where elites are seated,” he said.
The activist said he had witnessed insecurity-related incidents in recent years and believed such experiences were valuable, even if they were not derived from academic or professional training.
“Lately in the last few years, I have been present where all these things have happened. I have seen things that a lot of security experts have not seen. This is not about book. It’s not about book. It’s about experience,” Otse said.
He maintained that security was not an issue reserved for professionals or members of the elite, stressing that ordinary Nigerians were among those most affected by insecurity.
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“Security is for everybody. Security is not for some set of people. And this has been the problem,” he said.
Otse said his contribution at the conference was intended to highlight the experiences of Nigerians who are directly affected by insecurity but often lack platforms to make their concerns heard.
“I spoke on behalf of the poor masses. I spoke on behalf of the poor people. I spoke on behalf of the people that don’t have a voice,” he said.
He also expressed surprise at Falana’s criticism, saying he had not anticipated that the senior lawyer would object to his participation at the conference.
“I wasn’t expecting this angle from Femi Falana SAN, but well, it is what it is,” Otse said.
The controversy followed Otse’s participation in a session on insecurity during the NBA’s annual conference in Port Harcourt.
Speaking to Channels Television on Thursday, Falana said the NBA had historically invited individuals with specialised knowledge to address lawyers on specific issues.
He argued that discussions on national security should involve people with direct knowledge of Nigeria’s security architecture, while recognising the importance of hearing from members of the public on issues affecting justice and society.
