Social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has fired back at legal practitioners criticising his guest appearance at the Nigerian Bar Association’s (NBA) 66th Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, declaring that law is no longer a noble profession and describing it as one of the poorest fields in the country.
In a video shared on social media on Friday, August 28, 2026, VDM responded to backlash surrounding his invitation to speak on a panel addressing national insecurity and victims’ experiences.
He maintained that he attended the gathering to amplify the voices of marginalised citizens who lack institutional representation.
“I spoke on behalf of the poor people. I spoke on behalf of the people that don’t have a voice,” he said, questioning why his presence among legal scholars caused discomfort. “Because a son of nobody was seen in your midst?”
Activists challenge legal career prospects and unemployment
Directly addressing lawyers who questioned his qualifications to address the gathering, VDM rejected traditional descriptions of the legal trade.
“This bunch of clowns are telling me that law is a noble profession,” he remarked. “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.”
He further argued that high turnout rates from the Nigerian Law School do not translate into active legal practice or financial stability for thousands of graduates.
“Mind you, law is one of the most broke professions we have in the country,” VDM claimed. “Because we never talk about it… How many lawyers are there? How many lawyers have jobs? How many lawyers actually go to court? Ask yourself that.”
He added: “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.”
Controversy surrounding NBA panel role
The controversy follows days of debate within the legal community regarding the NBA’s decision to include VDM as a panellist during its annual conference.
Prominent human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) faulted the invitation, arguing during a television interview that specialised topics such as national security require established experts rather than social media personalities.
Defending his appearance, VDM previously explained that he was not invited to lecture lawyers on legal statutes, but rather to present grassroots observations on security failures, citing incidents of violence and the growing vulnerability of citizens and judicial officers alike.
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