Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
Social media activist, Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), yesterday accused Nigeria’s security agencies of knowing the identities and whereabouts of perpetrators of kidnappings and violent attacks but fail to move against them.
Otse made the allegation while speaking at the 2026 Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where he appeared on a panel that included the Inspector-General of Police and other security chiefs.
Speaking on the topic, ‘Known Gun Men,’ the activist declared: “You people know where these people are. You people know these ‘unknown gunmen’. But nothing is happening.”
He further challenged the description of attackers as “unknown gunmen”, arguing that personnel of security agencies, including the military, Immigration and Customs, were among those responsible for insecurity.
“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 said.
Otse also questioned the effectiveness of police checkpoints on major highways, particularly the Lagos-Abuja route, given the continued incidence of kidnapping.
He alleged that some security personnel at checkpoints could identify potential victims based on their vehicles and subsequently pass information to kidnappers.
“When you pass with a car, you will meet a checkpoint, the policeman tells you to wind down the car glass, open your boot you open it. Believe me, everybody knows who is rich, who is poor, and everybody knows the people that belong to the middle class,” he said.
According to him, such information could be used to identify motorists who might be able to pay ransom.
The activist warned that insecurity was no longer confined to ordinary citizens but had also reached the judiciary, citing the reported abduction of a judge travelling from Sokoto who was kidnapped in Kebbi State on July 26 and held for about a week before his release.
“This is not the topic of ‘if I may, my Lord’, because a lot of your lords are being kidnapped,” he told the lawyers.
Otse said his views on insecurity were informed by firsthand experiences at scenes of violence, claiming to have been among the first responders at Yelwata and other attack locations.
“I have seen blood and seen people burnt alive,” he said, while recalling the aftermath of attacks, including a Sallah Day bombing in Borno and incidents linked to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.
He described the Yelwata killings as retaliation following the killing of a Fulani man, saying the subsequent attack was carried out in response.
Otse also criticised the Nigerian media for what he described as inadequate coverage of violent attacks and their consequences.
Explaining his presence at the NBA conference, he said he was not there to teach lawyers the law but to share his experiences of insecurity.
“I am not here to teach you the law. I am here to share an experience,” he said, stressing that insecurity had implications for judges, lawyers and the wider justice system.
Meanwhile, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has called for greater investment in agriculture and other sustainable sectors to reduce the region’s dependence on oil.
Speaking during another session on resource control at the conference, NDDC Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, said oil had contributed significantly to Nigeria’s development but warned that the Niger Delta could not depend on it indefinitely.
Ogbuku stressed the importance of reliable data in determining the resources produced by the region and what it should receive in return.
“Without accurate information on what the Niger Delta produces, it would be difficult to determine what it is entitled to receive,” he said.
He identified agriculture as a key area for investment, noting its potential to strengthen food security, create jobs and provide sustainable livelihoods for women and youths.
The NDDC boss also highlighted commission’s ongoing institutional reforms, digitalisation drive, youth training in artificial intelligence and other digital skills, as well as the adoption of Environmental, Social and Governance principles.
He said that the commission’s transition from “transaction to transformation” was aimed at improving governance, accountability and the sustainability of development projects across the Niger Delta.
Awards were also presented to NDDC Board Chairman, Chiedu Ebie, and Ogbuku in recognition of the commission’s contributions to the development of the region.