Long before the Bobrisky saga began, I have never been one to be so easily impressed by so-called human rights activists. The bulk of them usually start out well and then fade away so soon and become the very monsters they once criticized. Ex-Governor of Edo state, Adams Oshiomole, is a typical example of this. Then, there’s Reno Omokri and so many other in Nigeria—people who were, once, the voice of the people, but, now, the voice of the tyrants. All for what? Monies and key government positions. Selfishness.
Since I don’t get blown away by activists, you can imagine my take on social media influencers. Those ones appear like class clowns to me: A bunch of clout-chasing folks seeking relevance. However, there is one out of this lot that is changing the narrative and, possibly, causing me to have a rethink. He is Martins Vincent Otse also known as VeryDarkMan. I have followed him for years now. There’s a consistency to his approach and a seeming honesty to it that delights me. Barring any future changes to his integrity, he is one of a select few activists (including David Hundeyin) I regard.
VeryDarkMan is, quite simply put, a pain in the ass. He is the kind of mosquito you fumigate time and again, but, somehow, still finds a way back to your bedside, humming, annoyingly, in your ears. The painful part is that, from inception, this man has raised issues that has led to government agencies’ inquest and real time actions. The NAFDAC issue is a clear example. These have caused his naysayers to look silly when trying to critique him.
Now, imagine the storm he caused when, on Tuesday this week, he released an audio conversation involving social media influencer, Idris Okuneye aka Bobrisky and a friend. Need I remind anyone current with latest happenings that Bobrisky was recently released from prison haven served a jail term for abusing the Naira note? Well, the audio was purportedly from his time in incarceration. What did he dialogue? He narrated how he had reached out to Folarin Falana aka Falz and his father, the revered and respected Femi Falana, to help him secure a presidential pardon. This was a banger of epic proportions. First, Falana’s reputation among the masses is sky high and unblemished. To even think that he could be, somehow, involved in a possible subversion of justice was quite mind-blowing.
Falz was first to react to this brouhaha. He did acknowledge receiving a phone call from Bobrisky while the latter was in Kirikiri. He, however, pointed out that the crossdresser had begged him for N3m in order to secure a spot in the VIP section of the correctional facility. According to him, he turned down this request. Wow! Who knew the much hyped Kirikiri prison had a ‘VIP section’ like you were in a cinema or a fashion show? Lol.This clarification caused even more frenzy and talk on social media.
Next was his father, the right Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) himself, writing VeryDarkMan and demanding an urgent retraction of his comments and subsequent apology. As per the letter signed by the Falana Chambers, failure to heed their warning would lead to litigation. Well, it has been over 24hrs since then and we’ve seen no retraction from the radical dark man, neither have we seen any case instituted against him. Anyway, that’s by the way. Let’s not regress. Back to the topic at hand.
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) were one of the first bodies to react to this scandal. They demanded an immediate probe into corruption in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The fact that Bobrisky had stated he bribed their officers with N15M to squash his money laundering charges was a no-no for the legal body. While the EFCC stated that it had launched its own internal investigations into the matter, the NBA were having none of it. They piled the heat on the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and others to begin independent investigations of their own to unravel the truth or lies in the matter.
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Unsurprisingly, the heat appears to be paying off as, just yesterday, two prison officials were suspended by the Federal Government (FG). While this is commendable, you can’t help but feel like these officers were merely thrown under the bus to help the government save face and maintain some sort of public confidence (that’s if it had any, anyway).
VeryDarkMan did reply Falana, through his lawyers. He reminded Femi Falana that, like millions of Nigerians, he had the utmost respect for him. Nonetheless, these statements from Bobrisky are not stuff to take lightly or sweep under the carpet. Again, no apology and no retraction. Doesn’t that remind you of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King or even Nelson Mandela? It does ooze that impression.
Yet again, VeryDarkMan has contributed to national development by bringing up this corruption. How can our correctional facilities have VIP sections? What then is the purpose of it been a prison. They might as well lodge prisoners in luxury yachts. What kind of country is Nigeria where its EFCC collects N15m from criminals to look the other way? That is atrocious? Lastly and I hope it isn’t true: How can one man, possibly have the power to subvert justice by way of presidential pardon for a criminal? These are questions that would never have been raised if VeryDarkMany did not start this whole storm.
Now you see that I was not wrong when I said VeryDarkMan is making me “have a rethink.” We need more of this kind of people to enhance democracy and check the excesses of our government agencies and security outfits. This chain of events is a national embarrassment. I watch on keenly to see heads roll in the coming days and weeks. This level of corruption must be weeded out from a country claiming to uphold democracy. Again, cheers to you, VeryDarkMan. This is a job well done. Te Salud!
