The Nigeria Police Force is challenging social media personality Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, VDM, to provide evidence to support his allegation that some police officers at checkpoints share information about travellers with kidnapers and bandits.
The Force made the demand in a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, on Thursday, following remarks attributed to VDM at the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association, NBA Conference in Port Harcourt., Rivers State.
VDM had alleged that police officers manning checkpoints along major highways identify wealthy travellers and pass information about their identities to kidnappers, thereby facilitating abduction s as ransom.
Reacting, the police said it considered the allegation serious but rejected it as unsubstantiated and damaging to an institution responsible for protecting millions of Nigerians.
The Force said its personnel regularly confront the same criminal groups accused of carrying out kidnappings, noting that police officers have been ambushed, attacked and killed while performing their duties.
It therefore invited VDM to submit any evidence, documents or information supporting his claims, particularly evidence that officers identify wealthy travellers and transmit their details to kidnappers for ransom purposes.
The police said said evidence would be treated with urgency and investigated thoroughly, while urging members of the public with credible information about police misconduct to use official channels rather than relying solely on public allegations.
-9News Nigeria.
