Police Challenge VeryDarkman to Produce Evidence of Alleged Collusion With Kidnappers
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has challenged social media personality Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), to provide evidence backing his allegation that police officers manning checkpoints on major highways provide information about travellers to kidnappers and bandits.
The Force said the allegation, made by Otse at the recent Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Conference in Port Harcourt, was serious and required credible evidence, describing the claim as unsubstantiated and damaging to the institution.
In a statement issued on Thursday by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, the police said its personnel deployed to checkpoints nationwide were tasked with preventing crime, detecting criminal activities and protecting citizens, rather than facilitating kidnapping.
The Force noted that police officers regularly confront criminal elements, including kidnappers and terrorists, and have suffered attacks and casualties in the course of their duties.
“Allegations of this gravity demand a corresponding standard of evidence, and that standard has not yet been met,” the statement said.
The police also rejected what it described as blanket accusations against its personnel, stressing that hundreds of thousands of officers serve under difficult, underfunded and dangerous conditions.
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According to the Force, sweeping allegations portraying the entire police institution as complicit in kidnapping could demoralise officers who perform their duties with integrity.
It, however, acknowledged that individual officers found to have compromised their duties would face disciplinary measures and prosecution in accordance with the law.
The police therefore invited Otse to produce the evidence upon which he based his claims, particularly any evidence showing that officers at checkpoints identify wealthy travellers and subsequently transmit their information to kidnappers to facilitate abductions.
The Force said any credible information provided would be treated urgently and investigated thoroughly.
It also urged members of the public with evidence of police misconduct to report such cases through appropriate channels to enable investigation and necessary action.
Reaffirming its commitment to transparency and accountability, the police said it would continue to investigate credible allegations of misconduct regardless of how they emerge.
The Force, however, warned against what it described as unverified allegations capable of undermining public confidence in national security institutions.
It urged Nigerians to distinguish between legitimate criticism, which it said could strengthen accountability, and unsubstantiated claims that could undermine public trust and national security.
The statement was signed by CSP Ani Iniedu, Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, Abuja, and dated August 27, 2026.
By PRNigeria
