VDM TENDERS APOLOGY TO SECURITY AGENCIES OVER NBA REMARKS
Read Time:1 Minute, 57 Second
By:Tajudeen Aminat
Social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has apologised to soldiers, police officers, customs officials and immigration personnel over remarks he made at the Nigerian Bar Association’s 66th Annual General Conference.
Otse issued the apology in a video released on Friday, saying he had reflected on his speech and realised that his comments were unfair to security personnel who risk their lives to protect Nigerians.
Speaking at the conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Otse had referred to the military, police, immigration and customs personnel as “unknown gunmen” while discussing the country’s security challenges.
However, in his latest video, the activist clarified that his comments were not intended to portray all security personnel as being involved in criminal activities.
He admitted that his remarks were particularly unfair to soldiers fighting Boko Haram and other threats in remote areas.
“I don’t think I was fair to a lot of people, particularly the speech where I said that the military are the unknown gunmen, the police are the unknown gunmen, you know, the immigration, the customs,” he said.
Otse explained that his intention was to draw attention to alleged corruption, sabotage and information leaks involving some personnel within the security agencies, rather than condemn the institutions as a whole.
He said the way he presented his argument, however, gave the impression that he was making a generalisation.
The activist subsequently apologised to the Chief of Defence Staff, security agencies and the families of fallen personnel, urging the agencies to extend his apology to officers currently risking their lives in the line of duty.
He also appealed to security personnel not to be discouraged by his comments, stressing that many dedicated officers continue to protect the country.
Otse, however, maintained his criticism of personnel he described as “bad eggs,” accusing some of sabotage, corruption, arms supply and leaking information to terrorists.
He said his remarks were intended to expose such individuals and encourage security authorities to investigate and address misconduct within their ranks.
The apology comes amid controversy generated by Otse’s appearance and comments at the NBA conference, with some critics questioning his participation in the event.
Despite the backlash, Otse defended his invitation to speak at the conference and maintained that his concerns about alleged misconduct within the security agencies remained valid.
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