Vincent Martins Otse, aka VeryDarkMan

By Nehru Odeh

He was born Vincent Martins Otse. But he is better known as VeryDarkMan, a name he gave himself, which has not only stuck but also connotes mystery, horror and gloom. And indeed, the man with very distinct facial and muscular features, as well as a peculiar hairstyle, known locally as ‘Suku’ as his brand, as the slang goes, is not smiling at all.

Yet his distinct physical features notwithstanding, VeryDarkman has become a brand name associated with activism, whistle blowing, radicalism, revolution, and uncommon courage and boldness, the type that is ironically and sadly in short supply on these shores and clime as well as in this post-military era and democratic dispensation.

As a result of the uncommon boldness and courage he has displayed over the years, even at he cost of his life and serving some time in detention, VeryDarkMan has become the darling of the masses. They believe he is a defender of their rights and their voice.  As a result, any Attempt by Nigerian security agents to arrest him is always met with stiff resistance, public disapproval, angst,  agitations and protests.

Ever since VeryDarkMan shot to the limelight, he has not wavered, nor has his revolutionary spirit dimmed or dipped. He has been in and out of detention four times. Yet he has fueled his mystique with his loquaciousness that is in shart contrast with his silence about his ethnic origin.

This perhaps has to do with the fact that he is a pan-Nigerian. He does not identify with any ethnic group in Nigeria. While many believe he is a Bini man from Edo State, others equally say he is from Cross River. Still, VeryDarkMan, who was born in Kaduna, has been silent about his ethnic origins.

VeryDarkman has had several brushes with many prominent Nigerians and even institutions. Nigerians will never forget easily his exposé on Bobrisky and the ripples it generated, which made Nigerian distinguished lawyer and human rights activist, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, describe his kind of radicalism as infantile radicalism; what with his libellous accusations and his not being able to prove them.

Yet despite the furore that it generated, VeryDarkman has not deterred. It seems the more time he spends in detention, the more his appetite for exposing corruption and speaking truth to power is whetted. And he himself once said he knows security agents are always on his watch and trail, looking for evidence with which to nail him.

His latest arrest by officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, at a branch of the Guaranty Trust Bank in Abuja, following his revelation that he would be at one of the banks to sort out some financial issues. Concerning his mother, whose salary has constantly been deducted by the bank,  has generated not a few ripples.

Many prominent Nigerians who condemned his arrests and detention include former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, Former Presidential Candidate of Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, Afrobeats superstar Davido, Cubana Chief Priest and his lawyer Deji Adeyanju, to mention only a few..

Nigerian youths also took to the streets in Abuja on Monday, May 5, protesting his arrest and continual detention, as they laid siege to GTB’s headquarters in the Federal Capital Territory. This form of protest and condemnation, both on the streets and on social media, has always greeted his arrest.

Still, the question many are asking is: What is the source of VeryDarkman’s uncommon courage and boldness? Street gossips attribute that to some ‘extraordinary powers that he possesses “E don chop azen. E no be Bini man? Im mama don cook am. Nothing fit do am, “ many say in Pidgin, meaning he has fortified himself with Witchcraft powers and the fact that his mother had prepared some charms for him explain his invincibility.

This is the stuff of legend. It is also the stuff of mythical figures. A similar thing was once said about late Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti, who many believed had been “cooked” by his mother and late elder statesman Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who was believed to have written his name in the sky with a helicopter.

That kind of legendary stories and myths is not uncommon in a fatalistic social space where extraordinary powers are often ascribed to the divine, and man seems to be at the mercy of external forces and seeks the protection and guidance of the gods because of inclement natural forces and the failure of governance.

Still, the questions remain: What is the source of VeryDarkMan’s extraordinary powers? What is the root of his uncommon courage and boldness? Why is it that the authorities have not been able to silence him? Why does he always go in and out of detention, with head unbowed?

This is not far-fetched. These questions are fueled by VeryDarkMan’s uncanny consistency, the fact that he has been able to remain unscathed, and the fact that he has proven to be the voice of the masses in a time in which voices have been stifled.

The truth is, the source of VeryDarkMan’s powers is not something that is arcane, fetish or mysterious. VeryDarkMan derives his uncommon boldness or courage from the people, the social media and the lacuna that seems to fill up our social space.

We are in the age of social media. He has only latched onto the lacuna in activism in contemporary Nigeria, buoyed up by the indefatigable support he has received from Nigerians in this age of social media, especially from the people referred to as netizens.

The source of VeryDarkMan’s extraordinary power is the people, buoyed up by the courage of his conviction and strength of character.

With the aid of information technology, the internet and social media, the public space has been democratised. Not only do Nigerians now have the freedom to assert their rights and speak for themselves, they have chosen to give unfettered support to anybody they feel has their interest at heart, speak truth to power and fight for them, no matter whose ox is gored.

And that is what VeryDarkMan has latched on to. The democratisation of the public and social space, which social media has made possible, accounts for the unwavering support VeryDarkMan gets from the people. It also explains why Nigerians are ready to go out into the streets to clamour for his release.

VeryDarkMan has a huge following on social media. Whatever he says via his social media angles goes viral.  It’s a matter of seconds before the public is sensitised; and, vice versa, it is also the same fast way the public expresses its support for him and condemns any attack against him.

So, because of the symbiotic relationship that exists between VeryDarkMan and the people, he has over time become not just their spokesperson and the man who fights for their rights in a time of so much despair, but also an emboldener and a metaphor for the fight against corruption and the struggle for good governance.

VeryDarkMan will continue to speak truth to power and derive support from the people until he shirks his responsibility and skeletons are found in his cupboard. And once the masses begin to suspect his genuineness, to doubt his integrity, they will equally withdraw their support.

So the question is, how long will the romance between him and the Nigerian people last?  Your guess is as good as mine. It is the collapse of that romance that his detractors are trying to achieve. But will they?