The Nigerian Bar Association has recognised social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, with a special award following his participation in a discussion on insecurity and other national issues at its 2026 Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The award was presented to Otse on Tuesday at the ongoing conference after he joined a panel session where he spoke about his personal experiences with insecurity and criticised what he described as inadequate attention to killings and other violent attacks across the country.
Presenting the recognition on behalf of the NBA President and members of the association, the session moderator said Otse was appreciated for accepting the invitation and sharing his experiences with lawyers and other participants.
“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. But please, when you are attacked, don’t kill. Report to the police,” the moderator said.
Otse had earlier explained that his appearance at the conference was not intended to make him a lecturer on legal matters, but to provide insights based on his experiences and advocacy.
“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 activist raised concerns over the country’s worsening security challenges, particularly the abduction of citizens, attacks on communities and what he described as inadequate media attention to victims of violence.
“This is not a topic of ‘may I, my lord’ because your lords are being kidnapped,” Otse said, referring to the security challenges facing Nigerians, including members of the legal profession.
He also criticised media organisations over what he described as insufficient coverage of killings and attacks in different parts of the country.
“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 stated.
Otse further recounted his experience at Yelwata in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, where a deadly attack was reported in June 2025.
“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.
On the circumstances surrounding the Yelwata attack, Otse said, “In Yelwata, it was Fulani that attacked. It was a retaliation because a Fulani boy was killed and these guys came back to attack.”
His comments come against the backdrop of ongoing legal proceedings relating to the Yelwata violence.
A prosecution witness, Moses Paul, a team leader with the Intelligence Response Team of the Nigeria Police Force, had told the Federal High Court in Abuja in February 2026 that some Fulani chiefs allegedly sponsored more than 200 armed men to carry out the attack.
The NBA’s decision to recognise Otse adds another dimension to his controversial public profile, as the social media activist continues to attract attention for his interventions on insecurity, governance and other national issues.
