Farotimi: VeryDarkMan Has Become the Common Man’s Last Hope

Human rights lawyer and activist, Dele Farotimi, has said social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has effectively replaced the judiciary as the hope of the ordinary Nigerian.

Farotimi made the remarks in a video shared on YouTube while reacting to the controversy surrounding VDM’s invitation to the Nigerian Bar Association’s 66th Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt.

According to Farotimi, the growing influence of VeryDarkMan is a reflection of Nigerians’ declining confidence in the country’s judicial and law-enforcement institutions.

He argued that in a society with an effective police force and functional courts, individuals would not need to take on the role of seeking justice through social media activism.

Farotimi described VDM as a “mirror” reflecting the weaknesses of Nigerian society, insisting that attacking the activist would not address the deeper problems that have contributed to his popularity.

He said Nigerians have increasingly turned to personalities such as VeryDarkMan because they believe they can obtain faster or more effective justice through them than through the formal judicial system.

Farotimi warned that if the country’s institutions fail to address public grievances, more people like VDM could emerge.

He said some Nigerians had already begun copying the activist’s approach and warned that the situation could eventually become more dangerous if individuals began taking the law into their own hands.

The activist also urged Nigerians to examine the state of the justice system rather than concentrating solely on VeryDarkMan’s controversial activities.

According to him, meaningful reform of the judiciary cannot be achieved by attacking individuals. Instead, he said, it would require collective efforts to address corruption and weaknesses within the system.

Farotimi further criticised those opposing VDM’s participation at the NBA conference, saying the controversy should prompt lawyers and other Nigerians to ask why social media activists have gained such influence in the first place.

VeryDarkMan had earlier criticised the legal profession following his participation in a panel discussion on insecurity at the NBA conference.

Defending his presence at the event, the activist said he attended to speak for poor Nigerians and people who often have no voice.

He subsequently criticised the legal profession, arguing that law had lost much of its reputation as a noble profession in Nigeria.

He also described law as one of the country’s struggling professions and questioned the employment opportunities available to many lawyers.