Rejection of Unsubstantiated Claims

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has challenged social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), to produce concrete evidence to substantiate his allegations of police complicity in kidnappings. The activist recently claimed that some officers manning checkpoints along major highways provide information about travellers to kidnappers and bandits.

In a statement issued by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, the police described the allegations as unfairly damaging to an institution tasked with protecting Nigerian citizens. The claims were reportedly made by VDM during the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Conference in Port Harcourt, where he accused security agencies of failing to adequately confront criminal activities.

The Nigeria Police Force firmly rejects these allegations as unsubstantiated and unfairly damaging to an institution entrusted with the protection of millions of Nigerians. Allegations of this gravity demand a corresponding standard of evidence, and that standard has not yet been met.

— CSP Ani Iniedu, Force Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Police Force

Hazards of the Frontline

Responding to the narrative that police personnel facilitate criminal acts, the Force highlighted the severe risks faced by officers deployed to checkpoints and other strategic locations. The statement noted that these personnel routinely confront the same criminal elements they are accused of assisting, often with fatal consequences.

The NPF pointed out that police stations, formations, and operational assets have frequently come under attack by terrorists and kidnappers. The Force cautioned that blanket accusations paint the entire institution with a single brush, ignoring the sacrifices of hundreds of thousands of officers who serve under difficult conditions and with limited resources.

Sweeping public accusations that paint the entire Force as complicit in the crimes it exists to prevent are deeply demoralising to these officers and unfair to the majority who serve with integrity.

— CSP Ani Iniedu, Force Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Police Force

Formal Invitation for Evidence

The police leadership has specifically requested that Mr. Otse provide any information showing that officers identify wealthy travellers and transmit their movements to kidnappers. The Force maintained that while it will not shield any individual found to have compromised their duty, such accusations must be backed by facts to facilitate internal disciplinary measures.

Accordingly, the Nigeria Police Force hereby invites Mr. Martins Vincent Otse to produce, without delay, the evidence upon which he based these serious allegations.

— CSP Ani Iniedu, Force Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Police Force

Any credible information provided by the activist or members of the public will be treated with urgency and investigated thoroughly. The NPF encouraged citizens to use appropriate reporting channels to report misconduct rather than resorting to unverified public claims that could undermine national security.

Commitments to Accountability

Despite defending its personnel against generalized claims, the Force reiterated its commitment to transparency and the rule of law. It stated that individual officers found guilty of misconduct would face the full weight of the law, regardless of how the allegations against them emerged.

We will continue to investigate all credible allegations of misconduct, however they arise, and we will not hesitate to act where wrongdoing is established.

— CSP Ani Iniedu, Force Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Police Force

The statement concluded by urging the public to distinguish between legitimate criticism aimed at strengthening accountability and unsubstantiated claims that diminish public trust in national security institutions.