Law is among Nigeria’s poorest professions — VeryDarkMan

Social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has described the legal profession as one of the poorest in Nigeria while responding to criticism over his invitation to the Nigerian Bar Association’s 66th Annual General Conference.

VeryDarkMan was invited as a panellist at the NBA conference in Port Harcourt, where he participated in a discussion on insecurity and spoke about the challenges faced by Nigerians, drawing from his experience as a social activist.

His appearance at the event, however, sparked criticism among some lawyers who questioned the decision by the NBA to invite a social media personality to address members of the legal profession.

In a video shared on social media on Friday, VeryDarkMan defended his participation, saying his contribution was aimed at highlighting the experiences of Nigerians who are often excluded from important conversations.

“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 the objection to his presence at the conference, suggesting that some lawyers were uncomfortable because he was not from an influential background.

“Because a son of nobody was seen in your midst,” he said.

The activist then turned his criticism to the legal profession, rejecting the notion that law should automatically be regarded as a noble profession.

“This bunch of clowns are telling me that law is a noble profession,” he said.

“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 argued that many Nigerian lawyers struggle to find employment or establish successful legal practices despite the large number of graduates entering the profession annually.

“How many lawyers are there? How many lawyers have jobs? How many lawyers actually go to court? Ask yourself that,” he said.

He also criticised the continuous production of law graduates, claiming that some eventually take up jobs outside the profession because of limited opportunities.

“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 remarks followed the backlash over his appearance at the NBA conference, which attracted legal practitioners from across the country.

Senior lawyer Femi Falana was among those who had questioned the decision to invite VeryDarkMan to the event.

The activist, however, maintained that his invitation was justified by his experience in advocacy and engagement with social issues, rather than by formal legal qualifications.