Popular social media activist and influencer Vincent Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, arrived in Makurdi on Sunday to show solidarity with protesting youths in Benue State who are demanding an end to the unrelenting killings in their communities.
The protest, which began earlier in the day, saw thousands of youths occupying the Abuja-Makurdi highway.
Dressed in black and wielding placards and palm fronds, the demonstrators maintained a peaceful stance while calling for justice for the over 200 victims reportedly killed in Yelewata community, Guma Local Government Area, barely 24 hours earlier.
Tensions, however, escalated when security forces moved in and fired teargas in a bid to disperse the peaceful crowd. Panic and confusion ensued as protesters scrambled for safety while some were reportedly injured in the chaos.
VeryDarkMan, who arrived during the crackdown, condemned the use of force against unarmed civilians demanding justice.
“This is unacceptable,” he said in a video livestreamed on his social media accounts. “These young people are mourning their loved ones, yet the government chooses to respond with teargas instead of action. We cannot be silent.”
