The Nigeria Police Force has challenged social media commentator Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, to provide evidence supporting allegations he made against some police officers during the 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Port Harcourt.
Newsonspot reports that Otse, who participated as a panelist at the conference on Tuesday, alleged that some police personnel stationed at checkpoints along major highways could be assisting kidnappers and bandits by allegedly sharing information about travellers.
According to the activist, officers at checkpoints identify wealthy or potentially targeted travellers and allegedly pass information about their identities or movements to criminal groups, exposing them to possible abduction and ransom demands.
The allegation has been strongly rejected by the police authorities, who described it as a serious claim requiring evidence.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, said police officers deployed to checkpoints and other strategic locations were tasked with preventing crime, detecting criminal activities and protecting members of the public.
The police spokesperson also noted that officers on checkpoint duties regularly confront criminal elements, including the same groups alleged to benefit from information supposedly provided by police personnel.
The Force subsequently invited VeryDarkMan to substantiate his claims.
“The Nigeria Police Force hereby invites Mr Martins Vincent Otse to produce, without delay, the evidence upon which he based these serious allegations,” the statement said.
The police specifically requested any evidence showing that officers identify wealthy travellers at checkpoints and subsequently transmit their identities or movements to kidnappers to facilitate their abduction.
The Force said any credible evidence provided by Otse would be treated as a matter of urgency and subjected to a thorough investigation.
The police also encouraged members of the public with evidence of misconduct by its personnel to report through appropriate channels to enable the authorities to investigate and take necessary action.
The development comes after VeryDarkMan made the allegations publicly during the NBA conference, placing renewed attention on concerns over security checkpoints, police conduct and the fight against kidnapping in Nigeria.
