APOLOGY IS NOT AN ERASER: ACCOUNTABILITY MUST PREVAIL

STATEMENT OF THE SECURITY SITUATION ROOM


The Security Situation Room has noted with concern the recent apology issued by Mr. Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VDM, regarding his statements made at the Nigerian Bar Association National Conference.

We state without equivocation that:
*"Apology does not erase a crime. It is an admission of culpability."*

An apology offered after the fact is not a sign of penitence. It is, in law and in logic, an acknowledgment that a wrong was committed.

Mr. VDM, at the NBA National Conference, made reckless and unsubstantiated allegations that *"the Army and the Police connive with kidnappers."*

Such statements, made on a national platform, are not mere opinions. They strike at the heart of national security institutions and public trust.

*OUR POSITION:*

1. *On the Law:*
His utterances fall squarely within the purview of the *Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 as Amended*. Specifically, the dissemination of false information likely to cause panic, and statements capable of inciting disaffection against constituted authority.

2. *On Accountability:*
*"In a democracy governed by law, freedom of speech does not include the freedom to defame and destabilize."*
The right to criticize government and security agencies is sacred. The right to make reckless, damaging, and unverified allegations is not.

3. *On the Way Forward:*
The Security Situation Room therefore demands that:
- He *be arrested*
- He *be investigated* thoroughly
- He *be arraigned* before a competent court of law
- And if *found guilty, he be convicted and imprisoned* in accordance with the law

*"No citizen, no matter how popular, is above the law. The law must take its course to serve as a deterrent to others."*

We call on the relevant security and prosecutorial agencies to act swiftly. Silence in the face of such allegations is tantamount to endorsement.

Signed:

Douglas Ogbankwa Esq..,
Convener , Security Situation Room .