The 66th Annual General Conference (AGC) of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) may have become more than a gathering of legal professionals in Rivers State, as the massive presence of lawyers in Port Harcourt is being used by the police to counter concerns about the state’s security situation.
Rivers Commissioner of Police (CP), Olugbenga Adepoju, said the success of the conference was itself an indication that the state was safe enough to accommodate a major national event.
However, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, was not comfortable with the decision of NBA to invite social media personality, Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), as a panellist at the event.
Meanwhile, VDM has refused to submit evidence to the police over his allegations that security personnel aid kidnapping and banditry in Nigeria. He would rather that anyone unhappy with his position take him to court.
The Rivers CP spoke on Wednesday night, August 26, at a dinner organised by the state police command for police lawyers from various zones and commands at the Officers’ Mess, Old GRA, Port Harcourt.
The police boss commended the NBA for choosing Rivers as the venue for the conference, saying the decision helped challenge negative perceptions of security in the state.
“You have brought the conference to Rivers, and we are happy. It contradicts the negative impression that Rivers is not safe, and this will show the whole world that for it to hold here, it means Rivers is safe and we are working,” Adepoju said.
He disclosed that the police intensified security deployments across the state to ensure that participants and visitors attending the conference could move around without fear.
Falana made his position known on Channels Television’s ‘Sunrise Daily’ yesterday, arguing that discussions on national security at the conference should have involved individuals with established professional experience in the country’s security architecture.
Featuring as a panellist at the conference on Tuesday, during a session entitled ‘Known Gunmen or Unknown Gunmen’, the social media personality spoke about his experiences reporting insecurity and visiting communities affected by killings and other attacks.
His appearance has since generated debate among lawyers and other commentators, with some questioning the NBA’s choice while others defended the decision.
Falana said the NBA had historically used its conferences to expose lawyers to individuals with established expertise and experience.
During the panel discussion, Otse alleged that some police officers stationed at checkpoints along major highways identify wealthy travellers and pass information about their identities and movements to kidnappers. He claimed that such information was subsequently used to facilitate abductions for ransom.
But addressing the police invitation in a video posted on his Instagram page yesterday, VDM said he was prepared to face the authorities but would only present his evidence if the matter was taken to court.
He challenged the police to prosecute him if they believed his allegations constituted an offence, insisting that his lawyers were ready to defend him.
“I’m not going to be giving the police my evidence. Why would I do that? I would be charged to court, and I would turn in the evidence in court,” he said.
The development followed a demand by the police earlier in the day for Otse to substantiate his claim that officers manning checkpoints on major highways identify wealthy travellers and pass information about them to kidnappers.
According to the police, the allegations are serious and unsubstantiated, and could undermine public confidence in the institution. The force had, however, said that any credible evidence provided by Otse would be treated urgently and investigated.
Despite his criticism of the security agencies, Otse acknowledged the difficult conditions under which many police officers operate and called for improved welfare for personnel.