Social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has criticised the Nigerian legal profession, arguing that law can no longer be regarded as a noble profession given the economic realities confronting many practitioners.
VeryDarkMan made the remarks while responding to criticism over his participation in the Nigerian Bar Association’s 66th Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt.
The activist was invited to speak at a panel session on insecurity, where he shared his views and experiences on the security challenges affecting Nigerians.
His appearance at the conference, however, attracted criticism from some members of the legal profession, who questioned the decision to invite him to the gathering.
Reacting to the controversy in a video shared on social media on Friday, VeryDarkMan said his presence at the conference was an opportunity to represent Nigerians whose concerns were often ignored.
“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 participation, suggesting that some lawyers were uncomfortable simply because someone from outside the traditional professional elite had been given a platform at the conference.
“Because a son of nobody was seen in your midst,” he said.
VeryDarkMan subsequently turned his attention to the widely held description of law as a noble profession.
“This bunch of clowns are telling me that law is a noble profession,” he said.
“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 argued that the perception of law as a lucrative and prestigious career did not reflect the experience of many lawyers in Nigeria.
According to him, a large number of trained lawyers struggle to secure employment or practise actively after completing their professional training.
“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.”
The activist also questioned the number of lawyers who are actually employed and actively appearing in court.
“How many lawyers are there? How many lawyers have jobs? How many lawyers actually go to court? Ask yourself that,” he said.
He further criticised the continued graduation of thousands of law students and called attention to what he described as the limited opportunities available to them after qualification.
“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.
The comments followed the controversy generated by his invitation to the NBA’s 66th Annual General Conference, one of the major annual gatherings of Nigerian lawyers.
VeryDarkMan’s participation was centred on insecurity, with the activist contributing to discussions on the security challenges faced by ordinary Nigerians.
His invitation sparked contrasting reactions, with some people defending the NBA’s decision to provide a platform for a prominent social commentator, while some lawyers questioned his suitability for the event.
VeryDarkMan, however, maintained that his contribution should be assessed based on the issues he addressed rather than his professional background.
His latest remarks have further intensified the debate surrounding his appearance at the conference, while also drawing attention to the wider challenges of unemployment, underemployment and limited opportunities within Nigeria’s legal profession.
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