The VeryDarkMan Phenom

By edentu OROSO

Every generation comes laced with its heroes and villains. They emerge in the nation’s epochs, clad in different garbs, each embodying distinct temperaments and motives, playing roles as diverse and innumerable as the stars scattered across the galaxy. The villains, in their craft and cunning, often spin the wheels of their societies in reverse, driving chaos, corruption, or decay. And, by a strange irony, they serve as worthy adversaries to the heroes and heroines, sharpening their resolve and tempering their purpose. engrave

In their cinematic stead, the heroes and heroines engrave their names upon the sands of time with rare mastery of the roles destiny assigns them. This they do in the run of things, sometimes through sacrifice, sometimes through defiance, but always through the courage to stand for what transcends self-interest.

There is, therefore, no dawn entirely bereft of leading lights in any society. These may not be utter saints in their posturing; neither are they always the brightest of the bunch. Yet, they inspire genuine interest by their gaiety of spirit, passion, and unrelenting pursuit of values loftier than the ordinary. They come across as steady flames that illumine their times, imperfect, yet indispensable. There is also no dawn that does not embrace the machinations of awed villains and the stuff of their strut; these add pep to the mixed rhythms of life as necessary props.

Heroes are human and have their warts and all. Villains are no different. What distinguishes heroes from villains, however, are the values they embody in the collective character of society. Both are nurtured in the same humus, the same crucible of social experience, but with distinct outcomes in the national conscience.

The stead of Vincent Otse, a native of Edo State who goes by the moniker VeryDarkMan or VDM, is emblematic of a hero in our nation’s socio-political ethos. His ways may not be as refined as one might expect of a person with urbane breeding or the intellectual airs of a firebrand activist, yet he exerts a force field of influence so potent it shakes the very fabric of our collectivism and conscience.

Many now consider him a “fourth estate of the realm” in himself, a kind of ombudsman, steeped in patriotic fervour, who steps stoically into realms of activism that most mortals dare not tread. Through this rare sense of selfless sacrifice for the good of others, an incandescent flame flickering to light the path for many, he assumes the vaulted role of a hero where even the government of the day falters in many ways.

Yes, Verydarkman, warts and all, walks tall among us today as the hero of the masses, embodying the conscience of our collective character.

He risks it all to confront the odds. He dares to speak truth to power, minding not whose ox is gored. Where angels fear to tread, VDM soars with ease and with resultant force. He stands a lone ranger in the war against vice and corruption, holding a mirror to our flawed realities and perceptions. Wherever his voice echoes, the realms respond with the cadence of justice. Those in the corridors of power dissemble at the resonance of his sonorous voice of conscience.

VeryDarkMan has been trending on social media for so many reasons. His recent exploits in Nigeria have cemented his reputation as a man of action and conviction, a voice of the voiceless and, to many, a God-sent reformer. His non-governmental initiative for education and community development stunned the nation when it raised over ₦33 million within twenty-four hours of its launch, drawing support from everyday Nigerians who saw in him a symbol of hope. Within just five days, that figure soared to nearly ₦200 million, a feat that highlights his rare ability to mobilise trust and resources across social classes.

Beyond fundraising, VDM has shown consistency in transforming goodwill into impact. Early in 2025, he introduced a vocational empowerment programme through which he disburses ₦1 million monthly to help young Nigerians acquire practical skills, reaffirming his commitment to economic self-reliance and community uplift. His philanthropy has also extended to human-rights causes. In April 2025, he donated ₦20 million to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to aid the rescue and rehabilitation of under-age girls trafficked abroad, a bold move that aligned his activism with direct humanitarian intervention.

Perhaps one of his most talked-about moments came during his recent explosive confrontation with businessman and influencer Blord over the controversial sale of the so-called iPhone 17 Pro/Max. VDM’s exposé revealed that many of the devices marketed at ₦400,000 to ₦450,000 were in fact refurbished iPhone XR models worth far less. His sustained outcry sparked nationwide debate, forcing traders to clarify their sources and adjust prices, effectively helping to crash the inflated market for the “iPhone 17 SR.” What began as a personal crusade against deception quickly evolved into a broader campaign for consumer protection and pricing transparency in Nigeria’s tech market.

Through these actions, raising millions for social good, empowering youths, championing justice, and confronting exploitation,  VeryDarkMan has etched his name not merely as a social critic but as a moral force. His blend of audacity and compassion continues to inspire many who see in him the living conscience of a nation long yearning for accountability and change.

Sadly, men like VeryDarkMan are few and far between - - flames flickering against the long night of civic apathy. He belongs to that endangered breed of citizens who dare to speak when silence has become the convenient refuge of many. His style may offend the polished sensibilities of the so-called civilised order, yet beneath the rawness of his approach lies an unflinching commitment to truth. His voice, at once unsettling and necessary, calls society to account in ways that formal institutions have long abandoned.

Where government ought to serve as the custodian of justice, fairness, and accountability, he stands in the gap, audaciously performing the duties of a state grown weary of its own moral obligations. In the face of negligence, he becomes the unlikely sentinel of the people’s hope; in the decay of governance, he becomes the conscience that refuses to die.

But such courage does not come without peril. Every truth he speaks chisels at the foundations of privilege and deceit, earning him a legion of unseen adversaries. He walks daily through the crossfire of admiration and hostility, a man both celebrated and condemned for daring to care. In this, he is an endangered species, not because he lacks support, but because society too often watches its champions fall without lifting a hand.

It is time, therefore, that the powers that be recognise the rare virtue of his mission. He deserves more than perfunctory praise; he deserves protection, moral endorsement, and purposeful engagement. For in men like him lies the possibility of awakening a generation - - youth stirred not by vanity or greed, but by conviction, courage, and moral clarity. And if given the right platform, he might yet transform his solitary crusade into a national rebirth of conscience.

His impassioned strides have already rewritten the story of hope for many Nigerians struggling against the odds. It is, therefore, about time the nation gave him his due flowers. A national honour would not be misplaced; better still, an appointment to a strategic position where his passion and candour can help drive the change our polity so desperately needs. Vincent Otse, the VeryDarkMan, stands today as an unvarnished force for positive transformation, imperfect, yes, but indispensable all the same.