20/05/2026
Dear VDBM – Martins Otse and 2.9M FB followers,
Issues arising.
First of all, congratulations.
Whether people like you or not, nobody can deny that you have built a powerful brand for yourself on social media. You came from being an ordinary “poor man pikin” to becoming one of the most influential voices in the Nigerian internet space today. That transformation alone deserves acknowledgment.
Content creation is the new oil well of this generation, and you tapped into it brilliantly.
Sometimes I wonder what the level of crime and frustration in Nigeria would have looked like if social media never existed. I also wonder how the situation would have been if social media in Nigeria was heavily controlled and regulated like in some countries. For many young Nigerians today, the internet has become survival. In short, watching skits and content would make you forget your one cup of rice on fire. Social media has largely become a consolation house for many.
When you first emerged with your “online police” movement, many people genuinely respected your courage. You confronted extortionists, challenged oppressors and oppression, and spoke loudly against bad governance. A lot of youths saw hope in your boldness because you were saying things many feared to say openly.
You recovered money for victims.
You exposed scams.
You inspired many to speak up. Today, you can be said to be one who inspired the current rampant online agitators.
That was the VDM many people followed online.
But somewhere along the line, things started changing.
Today, many of your reactions appear influenced by trends and personal interests rather than principles.
The Burna Boy assault on a DJ was one that never received condemnation from you “of course, who go attack him sponsor?”
Expert in jumping on trending issues, especially the ones that guarantee engagement. Once a topic no longer trends or no longer benefits the algorithm, it quietly disappears from your radar. Some issues you started passionately were later abandoned halfway while the matter quietly sleeps to de&th
Interestingly, many of your followers consistently accept every narrative you present without questioning or analysing both sides themselves. Nigerians, unfortunately, have such habit of accepting popular opinions without proper investigation and that has strengthened your influence immensely. Nigerians already struggle with blind follower-ship politically and now the same mindset is entering social media spaces too.
Individuals and followers should do critical thinking not digital worship.
Another concern is this growing “bring them down” pattern.
Once you target someone, it often feels like the goal is not just accountability but complete destruction of their public image. We saw this with Harrison Gwamnishu , BLord etc. You boastfully influenced BLord’s remand in prison, among several others you dragged intensely online. Again I understand the algorithm- more engagements
The pattern always seems the same:
“Expose them until they become irrelevant while you continue to trend.”
You understand these algorithms so well. You know controversy brings engagement, engagement brings money, and money sustains relevance. There is nothing wrong with monetisation — everybody wants to survive — but sometimes it now feels like every issue must somehow revolve around you for maximum engagement.
It’s painful that most times critical national conversations constantly shift away and back to you towards your unnecessary and unprovoked internet dramas.
Nigeria is bleeding economically.
People are hungry.
The government keeps failing citizens daily.
Sadly, many youths now spend more time defending influencers online than demanding accountability from leaders. (Attention drifters…)
Because at the end of the day, everyone involved in this online space — activists, commentators, influencers — are all benefiting financially from engagement and monetisation.
You once represented protest energy and resistance against oppression. Today, however, it appears attention itself has become the primary goal. Every issue somehow becomes personalised around your platform and your reactions.
Even when others initiate conversations, somehow the spotlight eventually returns to you.
Please note: There is nothing wrong with questioning wrongdoings, but sometimes your approach gives the impression that you do not just want correction; you want internet elimination.
Your followers defend you passionately every day. They push your engagement, trend your content, and contribute to your influence. But beyond dragging and online battles, many still expect stronger impact from you in terms of STRUCTURED EMPOWERMENT.
Your NGO, MVOI, raised expectations among supporters who believed it would create long-term economic opportunities for struggling youths. Unfortunately, the conversations surrounding it today are mostly controversies, unanswered questions and allegations of depositing funds in treasury bills instead of visible empowerment structures.
What is still holding you back from expending the NGO funds? You rented and furnished a full house as an office, yet one year running, NGO funds are still lying wherever you have put them.
Note: I didn’t say you have embezzled it. Your recent flamboyance is being sponsored and from monetisation too.
People expected transparency, which I don’t doubt because you know eyes are on you.
People expected systems working by now.
People expected results being achieved by now.
You are building classrooms today with fresh money from Burna Boy and yes, let it be noted clearly, not from the NGO funds.
That is commendable. But I hope those schools will eventually have qualified teachers and proper systems too because infrastructure alone is not enough. This is government responsibility. You should not push money into building schools at all. Rather, continuous call-outs on the government to take up their responsibilities solve the issue. Government officials today know the power of social media.
Imagine empowering even a fraction of your followers with startup capital and proper monitoring systems. In five years, people could point to thriving businesses and say:
“This was made possible through donations raised through MVOI – VDBM.”
Personally, I believe empowering youths directly would create deeper and everlasting impact. This is one aspect government will not do, even if you beat them one after the other. Hence the need to channel energy into business empowerment.
As you know, many of your followers cannot become content creators so they too can earn like you. Not everybody has that capacity.
I am reminded while applauding King Tunde Ednut, who promoted you heavily and helped amplify your voice globally, yet people rarely see you extend similar support by promoting upcoming creators, sharing their links, or validating their crafts publicly.
Again, it gives the impression that you prefer winning alone while others remain spectators — regrettably “gutter cleaners.” Today, every local government in Nigeria has a health and environmental department, and they receive allocations. Monthly environmental sanitation still holds across states till date.
Going forward, your persistence in diverting attention from national issues is becoming recurring.
Nigeria currently has serious problems: governance failure, economic hardship, insecurity, unemployment. Ideally, the energy of young people should remain focused on demanding accountability from government.
But increasingly, discussions become centred around you, your reactions, your fights, and your narratives. You understand the algorithm perfectly — staying permanently on timelines means more relevance and more money.
Your earliest controversial moment that made me question things deeply was the GTBank incident involving your mother’s account. Initially, Nigerians were made to believe the bank deducted money unfairly, only for it to later emerge that a loan was actually involved.
If it were another person, you likely would have dragged them mercilessly online.
The DSS reportedly questioned you about your source of income when it was initially unclear. Before then, you had publicly maintained the “online police” narrative while downplaying monetisation, but later it became clear your platforms were indeed monetised.
Martins, influence is powerful, but influence without balance can become dangerous. Your followers trust your narratives deeply, and because of that, objectivity matters more than ever.
Not every criticism against you is hatred.
Not everyone questioning you is an enemy.
Some people simply see the drift from the original mission.
Nobody is denying your hustle.
Nobody is denying your successes thus far. In short, I call it luck. The gods or God you are serving have really changed your story.
I applaud your logical reasoning. It’s a style so perfect for you.
Be aware that many are beginning to question your direction.
You were once a product of protest culture and youth resistance, yet today you sometimes appear dismissive of the same activism that elevated your voice in the first place. Every issue now somehow circles back to you.
Recently, a young lady exposed the poor state of a building in her alma mater. You entered the conversation, and all credits went to you. You wrote: “Project sponsored by Burna Boy, supervised by VDM.” Where is the girl in the picture? The original voice behind the exposure faded into the background.
That recurring pattern is hard to ignore.
That kind of legacy would outlive trends and algorithms.
The young woman who questioned you about the NGO issue was silenced by you over claims she never renovated any school, which was true though. However, many observed how the original question about accountability was diverted completely.
And this is why you continue winning public admiration:
you are exceptionally good with words and narratives.
Your famous phrase says it all:
“You come for me, you are the victim. I come for you, you are still the victim.”
— This phrase carries weight.
Again, congratulations on your success and your rise from humble beginnings. But kindly understand that not all Nigerians are gullible, and not everyone processes issues emotionally.
My sincere advice remains this:
Return to true online policing.
Focus more on governance and national issues.
Empower youths meaningfully with the influence and donations around you.
Avoid this constant “bring him down, bring her down” culture.
Do not allow selective bias destroy your credibility completely.
And stay away from politics as you have tried to maintain.
Because at the end of the day, internet fame has its seasons. What has a beginning surely has an end.
Be wise, not unwise — in the words of Honour Orireran
Gist with Emshok Facebook
