NEWS
Police Throw Down Gauntlet to VeryDarkMan Over Explosive Kidnapping Allegations
The Nigeria Police Force has issued a strong response to social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, following his explosive allegations that some police officers at highway checkpoints provide kidnappers and bandits with information about travellers.
The Force, in a statement issued on Thursday, August 27, 2026, challenged the activist to immediately produce evidence to substantiate the serious claims made during the recent Nigerian Bar Association Conference in Port Harcourt.
VeryDarkMan had reportedly alleged that police officers stationed at checkpoints along major highways identify wealthy travellers and relay information about their identities and movements to criminal gangs, allegedly making it easier for victims to be abducted for ransom. But the Police described the allegations as unsubstantiated and damaging to an institution charged with protecting millions of Nigerians.
According to the Force, allegations of such magnitude must be backed by credible evidence, insisting that blanket accusations against the entire police institution cannot stand without proof.
The Police maintained that officers deployed to checkpoints across the country are stationed there to prevent crime, detect criminal activities and protect citizens, not to collaborate with kidnappers or facilitate abductions.
The Force also pointed to the sacrifices of police personnel who have come under repeated attacks from terrorists, kidnappers and other violent criminal groups, noting that many officers have been ambushed and killed while police stations, formations and operational assets have also been targeted.
The statement stressed that it was unfair to portray the entire Nigeria Police Force as being complicit in crimes that have claimed the lives of several of its own personnel.
While defending the integrity of the majority of police officers, the Force made it clear that any individual officer found to have compromised his or her duty would face both internal disciplinary measures and the full weight of the law.
The Police, however, drew a clear line between allegations against individual officers and sweeping accusations against an entire institution made up of hundreds of thousands of personnel.
The Force has now formally invited VeryDarkMan to submit any evidence in his possession, particularly proof that officers at checkpoints deliberately identify wealthy individuals and transmit information about them to kidnappers to facilitate their abduction.
According to the statement, any credible information provided would be treated with urgency and subjected to a thorough investigation.
The Police also called on members of the public who possess evidence of misconduct by officers to report such information through appropriate channels to enable authorities investigate and take necessary action.
The Force reiterated its commitment to transparency and accountability, assuring Nigerians that credible allegations against its personnel would not be ignored.
However, it warned that the sacrifices of officers and the integrity of the institution should not be casually undermined by allegations that have not been substantiated.
As the controversy generated by VeryDarkMan’s comments continues to attract public attention, the Nigeria Police Force has effectively thrown the challenge back to the activist: produce the evidence.
The statement was signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, on behalf of the Inspector-General-led Nigeria Police Force at th
e Force Headquarters, Abuja.