Controversial social commentator Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has warned that Nigeria’s worsening security challenges will persist unless the government urgently reforms the education system in the northern region.
Speaking in a video shared on his social media page, VDM argued that terrorism continues to thrive because many young people in the North lack access to quality education, making them vulnerable to manipulation and recruitment by extremist groups.
“The only solution to terrorism is to educate the Northerners,” he said, insisting that a Nigerian leader willing to dedicate a significant portion of his tenure to compulsory schooling in the region would make major progress in addressing the crisis.
VDM claimed that the absence of formal education has made it easy for criminals to recruit young people for violent activities. “Let them have the knowledge because knowledge is power. Until then, Nigeria may suffer more in years to come. They don’t go to school in the North, rather they study religion. That is why the fewer people that are educated keep using the uneducated as their weapons,” he said.
He further highlighted the risks posed by large numbers of idle youths in northern states. “If I want to start terrorism today, I will go to Maidugri, Zamfara or somewhere. If you go to the North, you see a lot of young people in the streets begging. You can easily pack ten thousand of them and bring them to Abuja,” VDM stated.
The social commentator also insisted that even foreign military interventions would not resolve the problem if the root causes, particularly lack of education, are not addressed. “Terrorism in Nigeria is not stopping anytime soon. As a matter of fact it will come harder at us in years to come. Because the only solution is not being applied. Even if the United States soldiers come in to Nigeria today they won’t still be able to stop the future,” he added.
VDM’s comments have sparked widespread online debate, with many Nigerians highlighting the longstanding educational disparities between regions and their impact on national security.
