Social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has taken another swipe at the controversy over his invitation to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) conference.
Otse shared a satirical video on Instagram on Friday, dressed in a black barrister’s gown, white neck tabs and wig, with dark sunglasses.
In the three-and-a-half-minute video, he acted out a mock court session while making sarcastic comments about his recent appearance at the NBA conference.
The conference, themed “Be Your Limit,” drew criticism after Otse attended, with some lawyers and Nigerians questioning why a non-lawyer was invited to an event meant for legal professionals.
Otse defended his invitation, saying his experience and advocacy on insecurity qualified him to join the discussion.
In the video, he said, “If I may, my lords, since you people decided to ignore all the points I raised at the NBA, all the points I raised about the insecurity, the people benefiting, you people decided to distract yourself by judging me and saying I was not fit to be there because I’m not a lawyer.”
He added, “I’ve been called to bar. So now, you are now my learned colleagues.”
Otse also joked about “section 343 of the VDM constitution,” saying, “he who price must pay. And if you play, you go ‘n learn.”
He further defended his attendance, saying, “A large majority of Nigerians believe that I was not supposed to be present at this year’s NBA conference titled Be Your Limit. But my lord, I beg to differ because I am the most qualified, especially because of the topic that was addressed.”
He referred to the topic as “Non-gun man”, apparently linking it to his earlier comments on insecurity and firearms.
The video also featured two men he called his “learned friends”. In another mock court scene, he refused to represent a man who claimed he had been wrongly profiled.
“My lord, I am here to say I will not be representing this madman in court because how can you be looking like this? And you come and meet a noble man like me to represent you,” he said.
The controversy began after senior lawyer Femi Falana rejected the justification for Otse’s invitation, saying experience could not replace the professional qualifications required of conference speakers.
Otse has maintained that his experience earned him the invitation. The dispute also came after his claims about insecurity and alleged kidnapping activities involving police officers, which led to his invitation by the police for questioning.
In his latest video, Otse chose satire instead of directly addressing his critics, repeatedly referring to himself and others as “my lord” and “learned colleagues.”
