Social commentator and activist VeryDarkMan (VDM) has responded to human rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN, following criticism over the decision by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to invite him as a panelist at its conference in Rivers State.
Falana had on Thursday questioned VDM’s inclusion as a panelist at the NBA conference, arguing against the decision to feature someone without formal expertise in law or security-related matters at an event involving members of the legal profession.
Reacting in a video shared on Friday morning, VDM alleged that Falana and others opposed to his invitation were motivated by elitism and classism.
According to him, his critics believe that someone from an ordinary background should not be invited to participate in a gathering of professionals and elites.
“They mask it up with the talk of, ‘Oh, you should have invited a security expert.’ Which security expert are you talking about?” VDM asked.
He questioned the effectiveness of some security experts, arguing that his experience dealing with security-related issues had exposed him to situations that some professionals may not have encountered firsthand.
“Which nonsense security experts are we talking about here? In the last few years, I have been present where all these things have happened. I have seen things these security experts have not seen,” he said.
VDM maintained that practical experience should also be considered when discussing security issues, stressing that security affects everyone regardless of social or professional background.
“It’s not about book. It is about experience. And when you want to talk about security, it is for everybody. It is not for some set of people,” he added.
The social commentator also took aim at the legal profession, rejecting the description of law as a “noble profession” amid what he described as declining public confidence in Nigeria’s justice system.
“Lately, law hasn’t been a noble profession. It is what it is. When people want justice, who do they call? They call VDM!” he said.
He questioned whether lawyers should be proud of a justice system in which, according to him, many Nigerians no longer have confidence.
“Are you not ashamed to be a lawyer in this country where people no longer believe in the justice system of this country? They believe in VDM’s type of justice? Are you not ashamed?” he asked.
VDM further alleged that wealthy individuals could influence court outcomes, questioning what he described as the “nobility” of a profession operating within a justice system facing widespread criticism.
He also claimed that he had personally helped more people resolve disputes and recover funds than many of the lawyers criticising him online.
“Most of the lawyers talking on Twitter, I have won more cases and given people justice more than most of them put together,” VDM claimed.
He challenged his critics to point to their contributions to society, insisting that he could account for the interventions he had made over the years.
VDM also referenced incidents involving the alleged kidnapping of judges, questioning whether members of the legal profession had done enough to address such challenges.
The controversy comes amid wider debate over VDM’s invitation to participate in the NBA conference and whether individuals without conventional professional qualifications should be given platforms at major professional gatherings.
While critics have questioned the appropriateness of his participation, VDM has defended his invitation, arguing that his experience, public advocacy and engagement with social issues give him a perspective worth hearing.
The dispute has since generated reactions online, with Nigerians divided over whether the NBA’s decision represents an effort to broaden conversations within the legal profession or an inappropriate departure from professional boundaries.
