The Nigeria Police Force has invited social media personality Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), to provide evidence supporting his allegations that some police officers are complicit in kidnapping incidents across the country.
The invitation follows comments made by VDM at the recent Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Conference in Port Harcourt, where he alleged that police officers manning checkpoints along major highways relay information about travellers to kidnappers and bandits.
According to the Police, VDM claimed that officers identify wealthy individuals and provide information about their identities and movements to criminal groups, thereby facilitating abductions for ransom.
In a statement issued on Thursday by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, the Police said it took the allegations seriously but described them as “unsubstantiated and unfairly damaging” to the institution.
The statement said, “The Nigeria Police Force takes all allegations concerning the conduct of its personnel seriously.”
The Force maintained that officers deployed to checkpoints nationwide were there to “prevent crime, detect criminal activity and protect citizens”, rather than facilitate kidnapping.
It added that police personnel routinely confront criminal elements and that officers had been ambushed, attacked and killed by terrorists, kidnappers and other violent criminals.
The Police also defended its personnel against what it described as blanket accusations, noting that hundreds of thousands of officers serve daily under difficult, underfunded and dangerous conditions.
“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.
“An entire institution should not be condemned on the strength of a public statement made without evidence.”
The Force therefore formally invited VDM to produce the evidence backing his claims.
The statement said, “The Nigeria Police Force hereby invites Mr. Martins Vincent Otse to produce, without delay, the evidence upon which he based these serious allegations.”
It added that any evidence showing that police personnel identify wealthy travellers and transmit information to kidnappers would be treated with urgency and thoroughly investigated.
The Police further urged members of the public with credible evidence of misconduct to come forward through appropriate channels so that necessary action could be taken.
The Force reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and accountability, saying it would continue to investigate credible allegations of misconduct and take action whenever wrongdoing was established.
It, however, called on the public to exercise responsibility when making or sharing allegations concerning national security institutions, stressing the need to distinguish between legitimate criticism 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 27 August 2026.
