The Nigeria Police Force has invited social media commentator Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, to provide evidence supporting allegations he made against police personnel during the Nigerian Bar Association’s 66th Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt.
Otse, who participated as a panelist at the conference on Tuesday, alleged that some police officers stationed at checkpoints on major highways across the country pass information about travellers to kidnappers and bandits.
He claimed that such information, particularly concerning the identity and movements of wealthy travellers, was being exploited by criminals to facilitate abductions for ransom.
However, the police rejected the allegation, describing it as a serious claim that required evidence.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, said police personnel deployed to checkpoints and other strategic locations were assigned to prevent crime, detect criminal activities and protect members of the public.
The statement stressed that officers on such assignments also routinely confronted criminal elements operating across the country.
The Force subsequently invited Otse to present any evidence in his possession to support his allegations.
The police spokesman said, “Accordingly, the Nigeria Police Force hereby invites Mr Martins Vincent Otse to produce, without delay, the evidence upon which he based these serious allegations, including any evidence that police personnel at checkpoints identify wealthy individuals and subsequently transmit information about them to kidnappers for the purpose of facilitating their abduction.”
Iniedu assured that any credible evidence presented by the activist would be treated seriously and subjected to thorough investigation.
The police also urged members of the public who had evidence of misconduct by officers to report such matters through appropriate channels, rather than relying solely on public allegations.
The Force said such reports would enable it to investigate alleged misconduct and take appropriate action where wrongdoing was established.