Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has criticised the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) over its decision to invite social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), to its 2026 Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Falana said professional conferences organised by the NBA should primarily provide opportunities for intellectual engagement and learning, rather than serve as platforms for entertainment.
The senior lawyer made the remarks while appearing on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, where he addressed the controversy surrounding VDM’s participation in the conference and his subsequent comments on alleged police involvement in kidnapping.
According to Falana, the NBA traditionally invited individuals who had established themselves in their respective fields and could engage lawyers intellectually on important national issues.
“In those days, the NBA brought individuals who had paid their dues… who were coming to engage lawyers intellectually. We wanted to learn from them,” Falana said.
He argued that speakers invited to discuss sensitive issues such as national security should have demonstrable expertise or practical experience in the field.
“If you are bringing an expert to discuss the security of the country, either from the public or private sector, such an individual must have contributed to the security architecture of the country,” he said.
Falana similarly maintained that discussions on media and press freedom should feature journalists, academics and other professionals with established experience in media practice.
“But when you bring people who have nothing to do with the security of the country, there are problems,” he added.
His comments followed widespread debate over VDM’s appearance at the NBA conference, which attracted significant public attention.
The controversy intensified after VDM alleged that some police officers manning checkpoints identify wealthy motorists and travellers and allegedly pass their information to kidnappers.
The Nigeria Police Force rejected the allegations in a statement issued on August 27, challenging VDM to provide evidence to substantiate his claims.
The Force said its personnel operate under difficult and dangerous conditions and warned against portraying the entire institution as complicit in criminal activities based on unverified allegations.
It, however, said officers found to have compromised their duties would face disciplinary action and prosecution where appropriate.
The police specifically invited VDM to submit any evidence showing that officers at checkpoints identify wealthy individuals and transmit their details to kidnappers to facilitate abductions, promising that such evidence would be investigated urgently.
The development has further fueled debate over VDM’s invitation to the NBA conference and whether personalities without professional expertise in specific fields should be given platforms at major professional gatherings.
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