By Mature Minds Digital Radio TV
Social media commentator Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has apologised to members of Nigeria’s security agencies over controversial remarks he made during the Nigerian Bar Association’s 66th Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
VDM, in a video released on Friday, September 4, 2026, admitted that his description of the military, police, immigration and customs personnel as “unknown gunmen” was unfair to security personnel who are genuinely risking their lives to protect the country.
The controversy followed his appearance at the NBA conference, where he participated in a discussion on insecurity in Nigeria. During the session, VDM questioned the effectiveness of security agencies in tackling kidnapping and other forms of violent crime.
He alleged that some security personnel could be contributing to insecurity and claimed that there were no “unknown gunmen” because, according to him, security agencies knew those behind some criminal activities.
“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 had said during the conference.
His comments attracted criticism, while the Nigeria Police Force subsequently challenged him to provide evidence for his allegation that some officers at checkpoints allegedly share travellers’ information with kidnappers.
VDM: “I Wasn’t Fair”
Reflecting on the controversy, VDM acknowledged that his manner of presentation had amounted to a generalisation.
“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.
He particularly expressed concern about soldiers serving in conflict zones and risking their lives to protect Nigerians.
According to him, soldiers fighting Boko Haram and other armed groups should not have been grouped with individuals he was accusing of misconduct.
He therefore apologised to the Chief of Defence Staff and asked that his apology be extended to troops serving in difficult and dangerous locations.
“I really want to apologise for that speech, and I don’t want to discourage your boys. Please extend my apologies to your boys, to the ones that are in the bush protecting our lands,” he said.
Apology Extended to Police and Other Security Agencies
VDM also extended the apology to the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Customs Service and Nigeria Immigration Service, as well as families of security personnel who had lost their lives in the line of duty.
He acknowledged that relatives of fallen officers could understandably feel offended by his earlier remarks, particularly where their loved ones had sacrificed their lives in service to the country.
However, the social commentator maintained that his concerns about corruption and misconduct within the security system remain.
He argued that while there may be “bad eggs” within the security agencies, there are also many officers and personnel who are committed to protecting Nigerians.
VDM said his intention was to draw attention to alleged misconduct by some individuals and not to condemn every member of the security agencies.
He further urged security personnel who are genuinely serving the country not to be discouraged by his earlier comments, assuring them of public support.
Police Challenge VDM to Provide Evidence
The apology comes amid an ongoing disagreement between VDM and the Nigeria Police Force.
Following his NBA conference remarks, the police asked him to provide evidence backing his allegation that some officers at checkpoints allegedly pass information about travellers to kidnappers and bandits.
VDM had initially maintained that he stood by his allegations and challenged the police to charge him to court, where he said he would present his evidence.
The controversy has therefore developed beyond the original NBA discussion, raising broader questions about accountability within security institutions, freedom of expression, responsible public criticism and the need to distinguish between individual misconduct and the integrity of an entire institution.
While VDM has now apologised for the manner in which he generalised his remarks, he has maintained that his criticism of alleged misconduct by individual security personnel remains.
Mature Minds Digital Radio TV reports that the latest development has generated renewed discussion among Nigerians about the sacrifices of security personnel, the need for accountability within the security architecture and the responsibility that comes with making serious allegations against public institutions.
1 comment
Good one