On the night of June 10, 2026, Martins Vincent Otse returned to Nigeria from China. He did not go home to rest. He drove directly to join his Ratel Movement members who had already begun marching through Abuja’s streets.
By morning, he stood outside the Nigerian Air Force Base. Cameras rolling. Crowd gathered. And he delivered words that sent the internet into orbit.
“Nigeria Air Force, if you have bullets to shoot us, you should also have bullets to shoot kidnappers and bandits. Take your aircraft to the bush and shoot them.”
Nigeria has not stopped talking since.
Who VeryDarkMan Is and Why He Commands This Attention
Martins Vincent Otse, born April 8, 1994 in Abuja, built his public profile through blunt, unfiltered social media commentary on celebrities, public disputes, and social trends. He describes himself as the “online police.” His 2025 activism around Blessing CEO, the EFCC, and prison reform brought him to the attention of both his massive fanbase and security agencies in equal measure.
He has been arrested before. He has had private meetings with military leadership. In December 2025, he met with General Musa following an invitation from the military. They met again at the Ministry of Defence in May 2026. The relationship between VDM and Nigeria’s security establishment is complicated, adversarial at times and collaborative at others.
What the Protest Actually Demanded
The demonstration carried multiple slogans. “Terrorists Must Go.” “Kidnappers Must Go.” “Bandits Must Go.” Hundreds of youths, civil society members, and supporters joined the march through the FCT. Some placards read “APC Must Go,” pulling the protest toward explicitly political territory.
VDM addressed security operatives stationed at the demonstration directly and questioned their effectiveness. He referenced the June 10 bandit attack in Kogi State as evidence that security agencies were failing ordinary Nigerians. He challenged soldiers to act against the enemies in the bush rather than standing guard at civilian protests.
The Twist: The Military Now Wants VDM on Its Side
Three days after the protest, at the Nigerian People’s Strategic Conference and Defence Exhibition on June 13, 2026, a senior military official disclosed something extraordinary. The military is planning to involve social media influencers in security operations.
The argument put forward is that contemporary security challenges require more than military force alone. Public mobilisation, community intelligence, and strategic communications all require people who can reach millions of Nigerians. VDM reaches millions of Nigerians. The military has apparently been watching.
Nigeria’s Reaction
Public reaction split exactly as one would expect. Many Nigerians praised VDM for speaking truth to power in a manner that polished politicians and civil society leaders rarely attempt. Others accused him of grandstanding and politicising genuine grief. An Abuja lawyer published a statement calling his protest destabilising and urging support for security agencies instead.
VDM has never been interested in being comfortable. He has always been interested in being heard. On the question of Nigeria’s security crisis, the country has heard him this week more loudly than almost any voice in recent memory.
Ryan Brooks covers Nigerian and global entertainment for TheViralArena.com, from Afrobeats chart-toppers and Nollywood headlines to sports and pop culture moments that move the internet. If it is trending, Kola is already writing about it.
Ryan Brooks
Ryan Brooks covers Nigerian and global entertainment for TheViralArena.com, from Afrobeats chart-toppers and Nollywood headlines to sports and pop culture moments that move the internet. If it is trending, Kola is already writing about it.
