VDM leads Abuja protest over insecurity, demands urgent government action

Popular social media activist, Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has staged a protest in Abuja over the worsening security situation in Nigeria, with demonstrators demanding urgent government action and chanting slogans against the current administration.

VDM, who returned to Nigeria from China on Wednesday afternoon, joined members of the Ratel Movement in a protest march to the Nigerian Air Force Base in Abuja. The protesters expressed concern over the rising incidents of banditry, kidnappings, and killings across various parts of the country.

The protest, which commenced on Wednesday night, continued into Thursday morning as participants carrying placards marched through parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

In videos circulating on social media, protesters were seen chanting, “Tinubu must go, APC must go, bandits must go, terrorists must go,” as they made their way toward the Air Force Base.

The demonstrators urged the Federal Government and security agencies to take swift and decisive steps to tackle the growing insecurity and recurring attacks by armed groups nationwide.

A vocal critic of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, VDM has repeatedly faulted the government’s handling of security challenges, particularly the recent surge in kidnappings and killings reported across several states.

While in China, the activist described the administration as ineffective in addressing the country’s security concerns and called on Nigerians to vote out President Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.

Before returning to Nigeria, VDM had alleged that there were plans to arrest him upon his arrival, a claim that sparked reactions among his supporters.

Ahead of his return on Wednesday, several members of the Ratel Movement gathered at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja to welcome him.