Lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi has criticised Nigeria’s justice system, saying social media activist VeryDarkMan (VDM) has become a more accessible avenue for ordinary Nigerians seeking justice.
Farotimi made the remarks while defending VDM, arguing that a society with an effective legal system, functional police force and judiciary would not create an environment where figures such as the activist become necessary.
He described VDM as a reflection of what he considers to be the failures of Nigeria’s judicial system.
According to Farotimi, the situation raises concerns about the confidence citizens have in formal legal institutions compared with social media personalities who take up public complaints.
“A society that is ruled by law, with a functional police system, a functional court system would not tolerate the presence or existence of VDM,” Farotimi said.
He further described VDM as “the live indictment of a judicial system” and argued that the circumstances of Nigerian society had made the activist relevant to people seeking redress.
“They say that judiciary is the last hope of the common man, na lie! VDM has become the last hope of the common man,” he said.
Farotimi also criticised lawyers and judges, as well as the wider society, over what he described as the conditions that had allowed citizens to place greater confidence in social media activists than in the courts.
He said the issue should not be blamed solely on members of the legal profession, arguing that society as a whole had contributed to the situation.
“Shame all of you! And not just the Lawyers and Judges but the entire society that has made this possible,” Farotimi said.
