Social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has responded to criticism from human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, over his invitation to speak at the Nigerian Bar Association’s (NBA) 66th Annual General Conference.
Otse addressed the controversy in a video shared on his social media page on Friday, saying Falana’s comments helped him understand why some people had questioned his participation in the conference.
Falana had criticised the NBA’s decision to invite Otse to speak on national security, arguing that individuals selected to address lawyers on specialised issues should possess relevant knowledge or experience in those fields.
Reacting, Otse described the criticism as “classism,” insisting that his background should not determine whether he was qualified to contribute to discussions on insecurity.
“The problem these people have is that the son of a nobody was invited to come and speak where elites are seated,” Otse said.
The activist said his perspective on insecurity was shaped by his personal experiences and encounters with security challenges over the years, rather than academic knowledge alone.
“Lately in the last few years, I have been present where all these things have happened. I have seen things that a lot of security experts have not seen. This is not about book. It’s not about book. It’s about experience,” he said.
Otse maintained that insecurity was a concern for every Nigerian and should not be viewed as an issue exclusively reserved for security experts, government officials or academics.
“Security is for everybody. Security is not for some set of people. And this has been the problem,” he said.
He also said his invitation provided an opportunity for ordinary Nigerians to have their experiences represented in a discussion involving members of the legal profession.
“I spoke on behalf of the poor masses. I spoke on behalf of the poor people. I spoke on behalf of the people that don’t have a voice,” he added.
The activist said he was surprised by Falana’s criticism, considering the lawyer’s long-standing involvement in public-interest issues.
“I wasn’t expecting this angle from Femi Falana SAN, but well, it is what it is,” Otse said.
The controversy followed Otse’s participation in a session on insecurity at the NBA’s 66th Annual General Conference held in Port Harcourt.
Speaking on Channels Television on Thursday, Falana said previous NBA conferences had featured individuals with specialised knowledge who provided lawyers with useful perspectives on various subjects.
He argued that discussions on national security should involve people with relevant knowledge or direct experience of Nigeria’s security system.
Falana, however, acknowledged that the perspectives of ordinary citizens remain important in broader conversations about justice, security and public safety.
