Social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, better known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has apologised to Nigeria’s security agencies after his explosive description of soldiers, police officers, customs and immigration personnel as “unknown gunmen” at the Nigerian Bar Association conference.
VDM made the U-turn in a video posted on his social media platforms, admitting that his remarks were unfair to security personnel who put their lives on the line to protect Nigerians.
The activist said he had reflected on his speech at the just-concluded 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association and realised that his sweeping description could have unfairly portrayed patriotic officers as criminals.
He particularly apologised to soldiers fighting insurgents in Nigeria’s troubled regions, saying it was wrong to lump them together with those allegedly involved in wrongdoing.
According to him, his intention was not to accuse the entire security establishment of criminality but to draw attention to what he described as “bad eggs” within the various security agencies.
VDM said he believes some personnel could be leaking sensitive information and sabotaging security operations, but acknowledged that such allegations should not be used to paint every officer with the same brush.
His apology comes amid a brewing controversy over claims he made at the NBA conference about alleged misconduct by some police officers manning checkpoints.
The activist had alleged that some officers identify wealthy travellers along major highways and pass information about their identities and movements to kidnappers and terrorists, claims that have generated strong reactions.
The Nigeria Police Force subsequently invited VDM to provide evidence to substantiate the allegations.
Force spokesperson, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, rejected the claims as unsubstantiated, stressing that allegations of such serious nature require credible evidence.
With the police demanding proof and his “unknown gunmen” comment sparking backlash, VDM has now attempted to draw a line between his criticism of alleged rogue personnel and the thousands of security officers serving under dangerous conditions.
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