VeryDarkMan Slams Tinubu Surrender Call After Democracy Day

Social media activist VeryDarkMan delivered a sharp critique of President Bola Tinubu’s Democracy Day address on Sunday, June 14, 2026, criticising the administration’s call for bandits and sponsors of terrorism to surrender or face the full force of the Nigerian state, arguing that the approach had proven ineffective against the relentless wave of attacks across the country.

In his Democracy Day broadcast, Tinubu had warned bandits, kidnappers, and sponsors of terror to surrender or face the consequences of state action. VeryDarkMan, taking to his Instagram platform, said he had little confidence in the strategy. ‘This is why I do not have confidence in President Tinubu, because how are you saying that bandits and anyone sponsoring terrorism should surrender or face the Nigerian state,’ he said, questioning the disconnect between government rhetoric and the situation on the ground.

His comments followed his participation in the June 12 nationwide protests, where he had told crowds in Abuja that Nigerians could no longer travel freely because of the spread of banditry. ‘We are tired. We can no longer travel freely because bandits are taking over Nigeria,’ he had said during the protest, which also featured Nollywood actor Emeka Ike and was widely amplified on social media.

Chants of Terrorists Must Go Echo Through Abuja

During the Abuja leg of the protest, demonstrators chanted slogans including ‘Terrorists Must Go,’ ‘Kidnappers Must Go,’ ‘Bandits Must Go,’ and ‘APC Must Go,’ reflecting deep frustration with the government’s security record. Emeka Ike, addressing the crowd, said insecurity should not be seen as an issue affecting only distant communities. ‘Our children may not be there today, but somebody’s child is there. Please, let us stop this killing,’ Ike said.

Furthermore, the protests and the subsequent online criticism from VeryDarkMan represent a continuation of the public pressure that built throughout the Democracy Day period, including the nationwide demonstrations led by Femi Falana and Falz and the CSACEFA’s earlier call for the government to suspend Democracy Day celebrations entirely. The Presidency had not issued a direct response to VeryDarkMan’s specific criticism as of Sunday evening.

However, government supporters argued that the surrender call represented a legitimate offer of an off-ramp for individuals involved in criminal activity, while simultaneously signalling that those who refused would face intensified military action. Still, critics maintained that without visible operational changes, such rhetorical appeals would do little to change the situation on the ground for ordinary Nigerians. Notably, the continued captivity of the Oyo school abduction victims, now in their fifth week, and the fresh abduction of the Ondo monarch over the weekend, provided immediate real world context for VeryDarkMan’s criticism. Consequently, the gap between government messaging and citizen experience of insecurity remains one of the most consequential political dynamics heading toward 2027.

Calls for Defence Manufacturing Localisation Grow

In addition, the Defence Industries Association of Nigeria reiterated its call for Nigeria to end its reliance on foreign weapons and invest in local defence manufacturing capacity to address security challenges specific to Nigeria’s terrain and the tactics used by armed groups. As a result, the conversation about Nigeria’s security strategy is increasingly extending beyond political rhetoric into questions of industrial policy and defence procurement reform.