By Sabiu Abdullahi
Social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, better known as VeryDarkMan, has criticised the legal profession in Nigeria after his participation at the Nigerian Bar Association’s 66th Annual General Conference attracted backlash from some lawyers.
VeryDarkMan was invited to speak during a panel session on insecurity at the conference in Port Harcourt, where he shared his perspective on the security challenges confronting Nigerians.
His appearance at the event drew criticism from some members of the legal profession, who questioned the decision to invite him to the gathering.
In a video shared on social media on Friday, the activist defended his participation and said his presence at the conference was aimed at representing Nigerians who lack a voice.
“I spoke on behalf of the poor people. I spoke on behalf of the people that don’t have a voice,” he said.
He also suggested that his presence among members of the legal profession was a source of discomfort for some of his critics.
“Because a son of nobody was seen in your midst,” he added.
VeryDarkMan then challenged the view that the legal profession remains noble, while criticising those who condemned his participation at the NBA conference.
“This bunch of clowns are telling me that law is a noble profession,” he said.
“Well, lately, law has not been a noble profession. I’m sorry to say. I’m not even sorry to say. It is what it is.”
The activist further claimed that a significant number of lawyers in Nigeria either do not practise or struggle to secure employment.
“But even you, some of you who are not even practising. Mind you, law is one of the most broke professions we have in the country,” he said.
“Because we never talk about it. Law is one of the most broke professions. One of the poorest professions in this country is law.”
He also questioned the number of lawyers who have jobs and those who actively practise in court.
“How many lawyers are there? How many lawyers have jobs? How many lawyers actually go to court? Ask yourself that.”
VeryDarkMan also criticised the number of people who graduate from law school each year despite what he described as inadequate opportunities within the profession.
“And every year, they say they have people graduating from law school. Four thousand have graduated from law school, only to end up selling bedsheets,” he added.
His comments followed the controversy over his invitation to the NBA’s annual conference, where he took part in discussions on insecurity and issues affecting ordinary Nigerians.
The activist’s presence at the event had generated mixed reactions from lawyers and members of the public, with some questioning the decision to include him in the conference programme.
