Nigerian social critic Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has called on the Federal Government to urgently prioritize mass education in Northern Nigeria, insisting it is the “only solution” to ending terrorism and insecurity in the region.

In a video posted on his official Instagram page, VDM argued that the deepening security crisis in the North stems largely from low levels of formal education and the focus on religious learning alone. According to him, uneducated youth are easily manipulated and recruited into terrorism and other criminal activities.

VDM said any Nigerian leader who dedicates even half of an eight‑year administration to “forcing education” in the region could significantly reduce insecurity.

He stated:

“The only solution to terrorism is to educate the Northerners. Any Nigerian leader that will take four years out of his eight years to educate the North—force education on them—has solved terrorism problems.”

He explained that educated elites often exploit uneducated masses for violent activities, stressing that improving literacy would reduce their vulnerability to manipulation:

“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; they study religion. That is why the fewer people who are educated keep using the uneducated as their weapons.”

VDM further emphasized how easily unemployed and uneducated youths can be recruited into extremist activities:

“If I want to start terrorism today, I will go to Maiduguri, 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.”

His remarks have sparked widespread discussion online, with many users reacting to his claims about education and insecurity in Northern Nigeria.