Police Invite VeryDarkMan To Substantiate Allegations Of Complicity In Kidnapping Made At NBA Conference

MICHAEL AKINOLA

The Nigeria Police Force has invited social media activist, Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, to provide evidence to support serious allegations he made at the recent Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Conference in Port Harcourt, River State.

In a statement on Thursday signed by CSP Ani Iniedu, Force Public Relations Officer, the Police said VeryDarkMan alleged that officers manning checkpoints along major highways relay information to kidnappers and bandits about the identity and movement of travellers, thereby facilitating abductions for ransom.

The activist was also asked to provide any evidence that police personnel at checkpoints identify wealthy individuals and transmit information about them to kidnappers for abduction.

The Force said it takes all allegations concerning the conduct of its personnel seriously but firmly rejects the claims as “unsubstantiated and unfairly damaging to an institution entrusted with the protection of millions of Nigerians.”

“Allegations of this gravity demand a corresponding standard of evidence, and that standard has not yet been met,” the statement read.

The Police stated that personnel deployed to checkpoints are there to prevent crime, detect criminal activity and protect citizens, “not to facilitate kidnapping.”

It added that the same officers routinely confront criminal elements and have been attacked and killed in the line of duty. Police stations and operational assets have also been targeted by terrorists and kidnappers.

The Force said blanket accusations are “deeply demoralizing” to the hundreds of thousands of officers who serve under difficult and dangerous conditions.

“Where individual officers are found to have compromised their duty, they will face the full weight of internal discipline and the law. But an entire institution should not be condemned on the strength of a public statement made without evidence,” it stated.

Accordingly, the Nigeria Police Force has invited Mr. Otse to “produce, without delay, the evidence upon which he based these serious allegations.”

The Force said any information provided will be treated with urgency and investigated thoroughly.

It also encouraged members of the public with credible evidence of officer misconduct to come forward through appropriate channels rather than through public allegation alone.

The Police reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and accountability, and said it will continue to investigate all credible allegations of misconduct.

The statement urged the public to distinguish between legitimate criticism, which strengthens accountability, and unsubstantiated claims, which “can endanger public trust and national security.”

“The sacrifices of our personnel and the integrity of the institution will not be casually diminished by unverified allegations,” the Force added.