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The Nigeria Police Force has challenged social media personality Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, to provide evidence for his allegation that police officers at checkpoints share information about wealthy travellers with kidnappers and bandits.
The Force made the demand in a statement signed by spokesperson Ani Inedu and issued on Thursday in response to comments Otse made at the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association Conference in Port Harcourt.
Otse had alleged that police officers manning checkpoints along major highways identify wealthy travellers and relay information about their identities and movements to criminal groups, thereby facilitating kidnappings for ransom.
The police described the allegation as “unsubstantiated and unfairly damaging” to an institution responsible for protecting millions of Nigerians.
The Force said allegations of such gravity required evidence, adding that “that standard has not yet been met.”
“For the avoidance of doubt, police personnel deployed to checkpoints and other locations nationwide are there to prevent crime, detect criminal activity and protect citizens, not to facilitate kidnapping,” the statement said.
The police added that officers deployed to the highways routinely confront the same criminal groups accused of receiving such information.
“Police personnel have been ambushed, attacked and killed, while police stations, formations and operational assets have equally been targeted by terrorists, kidnappers and other violent criminals,” Iniedu said.
Defending its personnel, the police said hundreds of thousands of officers work under “difficult, underfunded, and often dangerous conditions,” including at checkpoints exposed to criminal attacks.
It said blanket accusations portraying the Force as complicit in kidnapping were “deeply demoralising” to officers and unfair to those who serve with integrity.
However, the Force acknowledged that individual officers could be involved in misconduct and said such cases would not be shielded.
“Where individual officers are found to have compromised their duty, they will face the full weight of internal discipline and the law,” the force spokesperson said.
The police therefore invited Otse to submit the evidence behind his claims, particularly any proof that officers identify wealthy individuals and transmit their details to kidnappers to facilitate abductions.
It also urged members of the public with credible evidence of police misconduct to report through official channels rather than relying solely on public allegations.
The Force said it remained committed to transparency and accountability and would continue investigating credible allegations of misconduct.
“We will not hesitate to act where wrongdoing is established,” it said.
The police also warned against what it described as unverified allegations concerning national security institutions, saying such claims could undermine public confidence.
The Force called on the public to distinguish between “legitimate criticism, which strengthens accountability, and unsubstantiated claims, which can endanger public trust and national security.”
RE:STATEMENTS MADE AT THE NBA CONFERENCE, PORT HARCOURT, REGARDING POLICE COMPLICITY IN KIDNAPPING INCIDENTS
The attention of the Nigeria Police Force has been drawn to comments made by Mr. Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as “VeryDarkMan(VDM),” at the recent Nigerian Bar… pic.twitter.com/Tx2j1z0p03
— Nigeria Police Force (@PoliceNG) August 27, 2026
