VeryDarkMan Apologises to Soldiers, Police, Customs, Immigration Over NBA Conference Remarks

Social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has apologised to soldiers, police officers, customs and immigration personnel over controversial remarks he made at the Nigerian Bar Association’s 66th Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Otse issued the apology in a video shared on Friday after reflecting on his speech, admitting that his comments were unfair to security personnel who risk their lives to protect Nigerians.

During his appearance at the conference, the activist had referred to the military, police, immigration and customs personnel as “unknown gunmen” while speaking about insecurity and alleged misconduct within Nigeria’s security system.

In his latest video, however, Otse said he did not intend to suggest that all personnel in the security agencies were involved in criminal activities. He acknowledged that his choice of words amounted to a generalisation that could unfairly affect officers serving in dangerous locations.

“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.

Otse specifically apologised to soldiers fighting Boko Haram and other security threats, saying they had made significant sacrifices to protect the country and their families.

He also apologised to the Chief of Defence Staff, the leadership of the police, customs and immigration services, as well as families of security personnel who have died in the line of duty.

The activist explained that his original remarks were intended to draw attention to what he described as “bad eggs” within the security agencies. He alleged that some personnel engage in corruption, leak sensitive information and sabotage security operations, but stressed that many others remain committed to protecting Nigerians.

“My speech was entirely to talk about the bad eggs in our security operative, our security forces, is to put attention on the bad eggs,” Otse said.

He added that he was concerned his remarks could discourage soldiers serving in dangerous areas if they interpreted his comments as an accusation against the entire military.

Otse’s apology comes amid criticism of his appearance at the NBA conference. Senior Advocate of Nigeria Femi Falana had questioned the choice of speakers for specialised discussions at the event, while Otse subsequently defended his invitation and explained his reasons for participating.

The activist has also previously made allegations concerning misconduct by security personnel, including claims that some police officers at checkpoints could pass information about wealthy travellers to kidnappers. Police authorities challenged him to provide evidence for the allegation, while Otse maintained that he was prepared to substantiate his claims.

Despite his apology, Otse maintained his criticism of security personnel he believes are involved in corruption or sabotage, warning those allegedly working against their colleagues and the country that they would face consequences.

However, he urged genuine security personnel not to be discouraged by his earlier comments and reiterated his support for officers working to protect Nigerians.

“To the patriots, to the heroes, to our fallen heroes that have died to protect this country… I am really, really sorry,” Otse said.