NBA Honors VeryDarkMan with Award at Annual Conference
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has honored social media influencer Martins Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan, with a recognition award at its ongoing 2026 Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The presentation took place on Tuesday following Otse’s participation as a panelist, during which he addressed key national issues, including ongoing security challenges facing the country.
Presenting the award on behalf of the NBA leadership and its members, the session moderator expressed the association’s gratitude to Otse for contributing to the conference and sharing his perspective with attendees.
“On behalf of the president and members of the Nigeria Association, I present this award to be here with us and share your own experience. But please, when you are attacked, don’t kill. Report to the police.”
Addressing earlier speculation regarding his invitation, Otse clarified that his role was not to lecture legal practitioners on law, but rather to share his personal experiences and insights.
“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.
During the session, the social media influencer expressed concern over insecurity in the country and criticized what he described as inadequate media coverage of killings.
“This is not a topic of ‘may I, my lord’ because your lords are being kidnapped,” he stated, while recalling the reported abduction of a judge traveling from Sokoto State who, according to him, was kidnapped in Kebbi State on July 26 and released about a week later.
He also faulted media organizations for what he characterized as insufficient reporting on attacks and casualties 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.
Addressing the June 13, 2025, attack on Yelwata in the Guma Local Government Area of Benue State—which reportedly claimed over 200 lives and destroyed property worth millions of naira—Otse noted that he had personally witnessed the devastating aftermath of such violent occurrences.
“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.
“In Yelwata, it was Fulani that attacked. It was a retaliation because a Fulani boy was killed and these guys came back to attack.”
Otse's remarks regarding the Yelwata attack coincide with ongoing judicial proceedings related to the massacre.
In February 2026, a prosecution witness—Moses Paul, a team leader with the Intelligence Response Team of the Nigeria Police Force—testified before the Federal High Court in Abuja that aggrieved local leaders had sponsored over 200 armed men to execute the attack.
His appearance at the NBA conference has drawn significant public attention, following earlier clarifications that his invitation was rooted in his field experiences and security advocacy rather than formal legal expertise.
