Malik Yahya/
ABUJA — The Nigeria Police Force has challenged social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), to produce evidence supporting his allegation that police officers at highway checkpoints pass information about travellers to kidnappers and bandits.
The Force, in a statement responding to comments attributed to Otse at the recent Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, described the allegations as serious but unsubstantiated, insisting that claims of such magnitude must be backed by credible evidence.
Otse had reportedly alleged at the conference that some police personnel manning checkpoints along major highways identify travellers, including affluent individuals, and relay information about their identities and movements to criminal gangs, thereby facilitating kidnappings for ransom.
The allegation has now drawn a sharp response from the police, who rejected any suggestion of institutional complicity in kidnapping.
“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 Force said.
It added that allegations of such gravity required a corresponding standard of proof, which it said had not been provided.
According to the police, personnel deployed to checkpoints and strategic locations across the country are assigned to prevent crime, detect criminal activity and protect citizens rather than facilitate abductions.
The Force pointed to attacks suffered by its personnel in confrontations with kidnappers, terrorists and other violent criminals as evidence of the dangers officers routinely face.
It said police officers had been ambushed, attacked and killed in the line of duty, while police stations, formations and operational assets had also been targeted by criminal groups.
The Force also pushed back against what it described as blanket accusations against its personnel, arguing that hundreds of thousands of officers work daily under difficult and often dangerous conditions.
It acknowledged, however, that individual officers could engage in misconduct and pledged that anyone found to have compromised their duties would face disciplinary measures and prosecution where applicable.
“Where individual officers are found to have compromised their duty, they will face the full weight of internal discipline and the law,” the statement said.
The police consequently invited Otse to submit whatever information or evidence he possesses concerning officers allegedly working with kidnappers.
It specifically requested evidence showing that police personnel at checkpoints identify wealthy travellers and subsequently transmit information about them to kidnappers to facilitate their abduction.
The Force promised that any credible information submitted would be treated urgently and subjected to thorough investigation.
It similarly encouraged Nigerians with evidence of misconduct by police officers to report through appropriate channels to enable authorities to investigate and take action against culpable personnel.
Reaffirming its commitment to accountability, the Force said it would continue to investigate credible allegations against its personnel and would not shield officers found guilty of wrongdoing.
It, however, warned against making sweeping and unverified accusations against security institutions, arguing that such claims could undermine public confidence and national security.
The police urged Nigerians to distinguish between legitimate criticism capable of strengthening institutional accountability and allegations unsupported by evidence.
The development effectively throws the ball back into Otse’s court, with attention now turning to whether the outspoken activist will formally present evidence to substantiate his explosive claims about alleged police collaboration with kidnappers.
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