JUST IN: Police Challenges VeryDarkMan to Provide Evidence of Alleged Collusion With Kidnappers

The Nigeria Police Force has challenged social media personality, Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), to provide evidence backing his allegation that some police officers collude with kidnappers and bandits to facilitate abductions.

VeryDarkMan made the allegation while speaking at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Conference in Port Harcourt, where he claimed that police officers stationed at checkpoints along major highways provide kidnappers with information about travellers, including their identities and movements.

Reacting in a statement on Thursday, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, said the allegation was “unsubstantiated and unfairly damaging” to the police institution.

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The Force said allegations of such gravity required credible evidence, stressing that officers deployed to checkpoints were tasked with preventing crime, detecting criminal activities and protecting citizens.

“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 also noted that its personnel routinely confront the criminal elements they are accused of assisting, adding that officers had been ambushed, attacked and killed by terrorists, kidnappers and other violent criminals.

The Force said it was unfair to make blanket accusations against its personnel, particularly officers working under difficult and dangerous conditions.

“The Nigeria Police Force is made up of hundreds of thousands of officers who report for duty daily under difficult, underfunded, and often dangerous conditions,” it said.

It added that officers found to have compromised their duties would be subjected to disciplinary measures and prosecution where necessary.

“Where individual officers are found to have compromised their duty, they will face the full weight of internal discipline and the law,” the statement added.

However, the police maintained that the institution should not be condemned based solely on allegations made without supporting evidence.

The Force subsequently invited VeryDarkMan to submit evidence backing his claims, particularly any information showing that officers at checkpoints identify wealthy travellers and pass their details to kidnappers for ransom purposes.

“Accordingly, the Nigeria Police Force hereby invites Mr. Martins Vincent Otse to produce, without delay, the evidence upon which he based these serious allegations,” it said.

The police promised to treat any evidence submitted with urgency and investigate it thoroughly.

The Force also urged members of the public with credible information about police misconduct to use appropriate channels to report such cases rather than relying solely on public allegations.

It reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and accountability, saying it would investigate credible allegations and take action whenever wrongdoing was established.

The Force, however, cautioned the public against spreading unverified claims concerning national security institutions, saying legitimate criticism could strengthen accountability while “unsubstantiated claims” could undermine public trust and national security.