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Police demand evidence from VeryDarkMan over allegation of collusion with kidnappers
The Nigeria Police Force has challenged Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), to provide evidence in support of his allegation that some police officers share information about travellers with kidnappers and bandits at checkpoints.
This was contained in a statement signed by its spokesman, Ani Iniedu, based on remarks reportedly made by VDM at the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association conference in Port Harcourt.
“There is no welfare for them. Instead of protecting us, they turned on us. They pass information to the bandits. They even rent their guns to them sometimes,” VDM was reported to have said.
The police who considered the allegation serious, rejected it as unsubstantiated and damaging to the institution, noting that allegations of such magnitude required credible evidence.
The Force said several police officers had been ambushed and killed, with police stations, formations and operational assets coming under the attack of terrorists and criminal elements.
It therefore cautioned against such generalising allegations against its personnel who serve under difficult and often dangerous conditions, stressing that officers routinely confront the same criminal elements they are accused of colluding with.
“Sweeping public accusations that paint the entire Force as complicit in the crimes it exists to prevent are deeply demoralizing to these officers and unfair to the majority who serve with integrity.
“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 said.
The Force subsequently invited VDM to submit any evidence in his possession supporting his claim.
“Accordingly, the Nigeria Police Force hereby invites Mr. Martins Vincent Otse to produce, without delay, the evidence upon which he based these serious allegations, including any evidence that police personnel at checkpoints identify wealthy individuals and subsequently transmit information about them to kidnappers for the purpose of facilitating their abduction.
“Any such information will be treated with urgency and investigated thoroughly. We encourage any member of the public with credible evidence of officer misconduct to come forward through these channels rather than through public allegation alone, so that appropriate action can be taken,” it stressed.
The police urged the public to exercise caution when making allegations involving security institutions, noting that unsubstantiated claims could undermine national security and public trust.
The Force said it remained committed to transparency and accountability and would continue to investigate credible allegations of misconduct.
