Social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has criticised Nigeria’s legal profession, arguing that law can no longer be described as a noble profession in the country.
VeryDarkMan made the remarks while reacting to criticism over his invitation to the Nigerian Bar Association’s 66th Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where he participated in a panel discussion on insecurity and other issues affecting Nigerians.
His appearance at the conference had generated mixed reactions, with some members of the legal profession questioning the decision to invite the social media activist to the gathering.
However, in a video shared on his social media page on Friday, VeryDarkMan defended his participation, saying he used the opportunity to speak for Nigerians whose concerns were often overlooked.
“I spoke on behalf of the poor people. I spoke on behalf of the people that don’t have a voice,” he said.
He questioned why his presence at the conference had become controversial, particularly because the event was attended by members of the legal profession.
“Because a son of nobody was seen in your midst,” he added.
The activist then turned his criticism to the legal profession, rejecting the long-standing description of law as a noble profession.
“This bunch of clowns are telling me that law is a noble profession,” he said.
He continued, “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.”
VeryDarkMan also argued that many lawyers were either not practising or struggling to secure employment, describing law as one of the professions facing serious economic challenges in Nigeria.
“But even you, some of you who are not even practising. Mind you, law is one of the most broke professions we have in the country,” he said.
“One of the poorest professions in this country is law.”
He questioned the number of trained lawyers who had found employment and how many were actively engaged in legal practice.
“How many lawyers are there? How many lawyers have jobs? How many lawyers actually go to court? Ask yourself that,” he said.
The activist further questioned the growing number of law graduates entering the profession every year, arguing that the available opportunities appeared insufficient to accommodate them.
“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,” he added.
His comments came amid continuing reactions to his participation in the NBA conference, where he was invited to contribute to discussions on insecurity and broader challenges facing Nigerians.
Despite the criticism from some members of the legal profession, VeryDarkMan maintained that his presence at the conference gave him an opportunity to draw attention to the concerns of ordinary Nigerians.