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The Nigeria Police Force has rejected allegations by social media personality Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), that police officers at highway checkpoints identify wealthy travellers and pass information about their movements to kidnappers and bandits.
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The Force described the allegations as serious, unsubstantiated and damaging to the reputation of an institution responsible for protecting millions of Nigerians, insisting that claims of such magnitude must be backed by credible evidence.
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Police authorities challenged VDM to produce any evidence in his possession, promising to investigate such information urgently and prosecute any officer found to have compromised his duty.
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The Force said blanket accusations against its personnel were unfair to thousands of officers working in difficult and dangerous conditions, while warning the public against spreading unverified claims capable of undermining confidence in national security institutions.
August 27, (THEWILL) — The Nigeria Police Force has fired back at social media personality Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), over allegations that some police officers manning checkpoints on major highways provide information about travellers to kidnappers and bandits to facilitate abductions for ransom.
The Force, in a statement issued on Thursday by its Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, described the allegations as unsubstantiated and unfairly damaging to the institution, while challenging VDM to produce evidence to support his claims.
THEWILL reports that VDM made the allegations during a session at the Nigerian Bar Association’s 66th Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, claiming that police personnel at checkpoints collect information about travellers, particularly wealthy individuals, and subsequently relay such information to criminal elements.
Reacting to the claim, the police said allegations involving the possible complicity of its personnel in kidnapping were too grave to be made without credible evidence.
“The Nigeria Police Force firmly rejects these allegations as unsubstantiated and unfairly damaging to an institution entrusted with the protection of millions of Nigerians”, the statement said.
The Force maintained that officers deployed to checkpoints and other locations across the country were there to prevent crime, detect criminal activity and protect citizens, rather than facilitate criminal operations. It also pointed to the risks routinely faced by police personnel in the line of duty, noting that officers had been ambushed, attacked and killed by terrorists, kidnappers and other violent criminals.
According to the police, stations, formations and operational assets have also come under attack by criminal groups.
The Force warned against portraying its entire workforce as complicit in kidnapping based on allegations against unnamed or unidentified officers.
It said hundreds of thousands of police officers continue to perform their duties under difficult, underfunded and dangerous conditions, including at checkpoints exposed to criminal attacks.
“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”, the statement noted.
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Police Ask VDM to Provide Evidence
The police consequently challenged VDM to provide whatever evidence informed his allegations, particularly any proof that officers at checkpoints identify wealthy travellers and transmit information about them to kidnappers for the purpose of facilitating their abduction.
The Force said any credible information supplied by VDM would be treated with urgency and thoroughly investigated. It also urged members of the public who have evidence of police misconduct to submit it through appropriate channels to enable authorities to investigate and take necessary action.
The police said it remained committed to transparency and accountability and would continue to investigate credible allegations of misconduct irrespective of where they originated.
However, the Force warned that the sacrifices of its personnel and the integrity of the institution should not be undermined by unverified allegations. It called on Nigerians to exercise caution and responsibility when making or sharing allegations concerning national security institutions, stressing the need to distinguish between legitimate criticism that promotes accountability and unsubstantiated claims that could undermine public trust and national security.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
