Human rights lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi has attributed the growing influence of social critic Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), to the failure of Nigeria’s judicial system to deliver justice to ordinary citizens.
Reacting to the controversy over VeryDarkMan’s invitation to the Nigerian Bar Association’s 66th Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Farotimi said many Nigerians now turn to VDM and similar figures for help instead of the courts.
“VDM has become the last hope of the common man in the society that you built. Shame on all of you,” he told lawyers in a viral video.
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Farotimi argued that personalities like VeryDarkMan would not have emerged if Nigeria had a functional police force and an effective judicial system. He warned that more such figures could rise if the judiciary and other institutions continue to ignore the grievances of the people.
His comments highlight the deepening public distrust in formal justice institutions. Many ordinary Nigerians have long complained about delays, high costs, and perceived injustice in the courts, prompting them to seek alternative means of accountability through social media activists.
Farotimi stressed that restoring public confidence in the justice system remains critical to preventing further reliance on informal figures for redress.
