Nigerian social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has triggered widespread reactions after posting a video challenging a pastor’s dramatic display involving fire and water during a church service.
The controversy began after a video circulated online showing flames and smoke bursting from a church member’s pocket after the pastor splashed water towards it, leaving members of the congregation visibly startled.
In a video shared on October 25, 2026, VeryDarkMan staged his own demonstration using sodium metal to illustrate how a chemical reaction involving water could produce fire and smoke.
The activist argued that the dramatic scene could be explained by chemistry rather than a supernatural occurrence, prompting renewed debate about the authenticity of some miracles showcased in churches.
The demonstration drew attention to the reaction between sodium and water, which produces sodium hydroxide and hydrogen gas. The reaction releases heat, and the hydrogen can ignite under certain conditions.
However, the experiment is extremely dangerous and should not be attempted outside properly equipped laboratory conditions.
Nigerians react to the video
The video sparked a wave of comments, with some social media users agreeing with VeryDarkMan’s explanation and questioning the circumstances surrounding the church demonstration.
Some commenters also pointed to the apparent readiness of people nearby to cover the church member during the incident, raising questions about whether the display had been anticipated.
Others warned about the dangers of using reactive chemicals in such demonstrations, particularly when the substance could be placed close to a person’s body.
The incident has once again placed VeryDarkMan at the centre of conversations about religious practices, public accountability and claims of supernatural intervention.
While the activist presented a chemical explanation for the footage, the available report does not independently establish what substance was used in the original church incident or conclusively determine how the flames were produced.
The latest controversy adds to VeryDarkMan’s history of publicly questioning claims made by prominent religious figures, often generating sharp disagreements between his supporters and critics.
