The Nigeria Police Force has challenged VeryDarkMan to provide evidence for his claim that officers at checkpoints pass travellers’ details to kidnappers
Police Dare VeryDarkMan to Prove Officers Feed Kidnappers Information on Wealthy Travellers
The Nigeria Police Force has challenged social media personality Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, to provide evidence for his allegation that some police officers at checkpoints pass information about travellers to kidnappers and bandits.
The Force, in a statement issued by its Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, on Wednesday, described the allegation as “unsubstantiated and unfairly damaging” to an institution responsible for protecting millions of Nigerians.
VeryDarkMan reportedly made the allegation at the recent Nigerian Bar Association conference in Port Harcourt, claiming that some officers stationed at checkpoints identify wealthy travellers before allegedly passing information about their identities and movements to criminal gangs.
Reacting to the claim, the police insisted that allegations of such magnitude must be backed by credible evidence.
The Force said: “Allegations of this gravity demand a corresponding standard of evidence, and that standard has not yet been met.”
According to the police, officers deployed to checkpoints and other locations across the country are assigned to “prevent crime, detect criminal activity and protect citizens, not to facilitate kidnapping.”
The Force also rejected what it described as blanket accusations against its personnel, noting that police officers regularly confront the same criminal elements accused of receiving information from compromised officers.
It said several personnel had been ambushed, attacked and killed while carrying out their duties.
“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,” the statement said.
The police added that hundreds of thousands of officers report for duty daily under difficult, underfunded and dangerous conditions, including in areas where they are directly exposed to the criminals they are tasked with keeping off the nation’s highways.
The Force, however, acknowledged that individual officers who compromise their duties would be held accountable, stressing that wrongdoing 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. But an entire institution should not be condemned on the strength of a public statement made without evidence,” it said.
The police consequently invited VeryDarkMan to submit any evidence supporting his claims, particularly information showing that officers identify wealthy travellers and transmit their details to kidnappers.
“Any such information will be treated with urgency and investigated thoroughly,” the Force said.
It also urged members of the public with credible evidence of police misconduct to report through appropriate channels to allow the authorities to investigate and take necessary action.
The Force reiterated its commitment to transparency and accountability, saying it “will continue to investigate all credible allegations of misconduct, however they arise, and we will not hesitate to act where wrongdoing is established.”
However, the police cautioned Nigerians against making or circulating unsubstantiated allegations involving national security institutions, warning that such claims could weaken public confidence and undermine national security.
The Force said legitimate criticism remained important to accountability but insisted that unsupported allegations should not be allowed to diminish the sacrifices of police officers or damage the integrity of the institution.
