Social commentator Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has called on the Nigerian government to improve the welfare of security personnel and make provisions for citizens to better protect themselves against insecurity.
VeryDarkMan made the remarks while speaking at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference (AGC) 2026 in Rivers State.
According to him, Nigerians cannot do without security agencies, but the reality is that security personnel are too few in number to effectively protect every citizen across the country.
He argued that the government should consider making it easier for law-abiding citizens to obtain guns legally for self-defence, while putting appropriate regulations in place to prevent abuse.
“We can’t do without security agencies. However, they need to make provision for citizens (Nigerians) to protect themselves and make it easy for us to get guns,” he said.
VeryDarkMan also raised concerns about the welfare and working conditions of security personnel, arguing that inadequate government support could make some officers vulnerable to corruption and compromise.
He alleged that poorly supported security personnel could be pressured into providing sensitive information to bandits and other criminal elements.
“They can’t really protect everybody. They have lesser numbers, and yet the government don’t really take care of them, and it makes them turn against us and give out information to bandits,” he said.
He therefore urged the government to prioritise the welfare, salaries, equipment and overall working conditions of security agencies, warning that failure to do so could further undermine the fight against insecurity.
“The government should start taking care of them properly. If not, they will keep turning against us,” he added.
