The Nigeria Police Force has challenged social media critic Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, to provide evidence backing his claim that some police officers at checkpoints pass information about travellers to kidnappers and bandits.
VeryDarkMan made the allegation on Tuesday while serving as a panelist at the 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association in Port Harcourt.
During the session, the activist alleged that police officers stationed at checkpoints along major highways identify wealthy travellers and relay information about their identities and movements to criminal groups.
He claimed the alleged practice was contributing to abductions for ransom across the country.
The allegation, however, drew a swift response from the police, who dismissed the claim and challenged VeryDarkMan to substantiate it.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, said officers deployed to checkpoints and other locations nationwide were responsible for preventing crime, detecting criminal activity and protecting citizens.
He added that the same officers routinely confront the criminal elements allegedly receiving such information.
“Accordingly, the Nigeria Police Force hereby invites Mr. Martins Vincent Otse to produce, without delay, the evidence upon which he based these serious allegations,” Iniedu said.
The Force specifically asked VeryDarkMan to provide any evidence showing that police personnel at checkpoints identify wealthy individuals and subsequently pass their details to kidnappers to facilitate their abduction.
Iniedu said any credible information provided would be treated with urgency and subjected to a thorough investigation.
The police also urged members of the public with evidence of police misconduct to report through official channels, stressing that such reports would enable appropriate action to be taken.
