Law no longer noble profession in Nigeria — VeryDarkMan

Social media figure VeryDarkMan, also known as Martins Vincent Otse, has criticized law as one of the most impoverished professions in Nigeria, responding to backlash over his invitation to the Nigerian Bar Association's 66th Annual General Conference. The activist participated in a panel discussion on insecurity, sharing his perspectives on security challenges facing Nigerians. However, some members of the legal community questioned his presence at the event, citing his lack of a noble profession.

In a subsequent video, VeryDarkMan explained that he attended the conference to represent the voiceless and the poor. He questioned why some people felt uncomfortable with his association with lawyers, stating, "Because a son of nobody was seen in your midst." The activist further dismissed claims that law remained a noble profession, saying, "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."

VeryDarkMan also pointed out the high unemployment rate among trained lawyers in Nigeria, describing the profession as one of the poorest in the country. He asked, "How many lawyers are there? How many lawyers have jobs? How many lawyers actually go to court? Ask yourself that." Additionally, the activist criticized the continuous graduation of thousands of lawyers from the Nigerian Law School, with only a small fraction of graduates actually practicing law, leading to jobs like selling bedsheets.