The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has dismissed allegations made by social media personality Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), accusing police officers of collaborating with kidnappers by sharing information about travellers at highway checkpoints.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, the police described the claims as unsubstantiated and harmful to the image of an institution responsible for protecting millions of Nigerians.

The allegations were made by VDM during the recent Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual Conference in Port Harcourt, where he claimed that officers stationed at checkpoints along major highways identify wealthy travellers and relay information about them to kidnappers, leading to abductions for ransom.

Reacting to the comments, the Force said it treats every allegation against its personnel seriously but insisted that accusations of such magnitude must be supported with credible evidence.

According to the statement, the Force firmly rejected the claims, maintaining that officers deployed to checkpoints are tasked with preventing crime, detecting criminal activities and safeguarding lives, not aiding criminal networks.

“The Nigeria Police Force firmly rejects these allegations as unsubstantiated and unfairly damaging to an institution entrusted with the protection of millions of Nigerians. 

“Allegations of this gravity demand a corresponding standard of evidence, and that standard has not yet been met.”

The police further stated that officers across the country routinely confront armed criminals, including kidnappers, terrorists and bandits, often at great personal risk.

“For the avoidance of doubt, police personnel deployed to checkpoints and other locations nationwide are there to prevent crime, detect criminal activity and protect citizens, not to facilitate kidnapping. 

“Indeed, these same police officers routinely confront the very criminal elements alleged to be receiving such information. 

“Police personnel have been ambushed, attacked and killed, while police stations, formations and operational assets have equally been targeted by terrorists, kidnappers and other violent criminals.”

The Force also defended the commitment of its personnel, saying the overwhelming majority of officers serve diligently despite working under difficult and sometimes dangerous conditions.

“The Nigeria Police Force is made up of hundreds of thousands of officers who report for duty daily under difficult, underfunded, and often dangerous conditions, many of them at checkpoints exposed to the very criminal elements they are trying to keep off our roads.”

It added that sweeping allegations against the entire institution without proof are unfair and demoralising to officers who continue to risk their lives in the line of duty.

“Sweeping public accusations that paint the entire Force as complicit in the crimes it exists to prevent are deeply demoralizing to these officers and unfair to the majority who serve with integrity. 

“Where individual officers are found to have compromised their duty, they will face the full weight of internal discipline and the law. 

“But an entire institution should not be condemned on the strength of a public statement made without evidence.”

The NPF called on VDM to immediately submit any evidence supporting his allegations, assuring that any credible information would be investigated thoroughly.

“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.”

The Force also encouraged members of the public with credible evidence of misconduct involving police personnel to report such cases through established channels rather than relying solely on public accusations.

“Any such information will be treated with urgency and investigated thoroughly. 

“We encourage any member of the public with credible evidence of officer misconduct to come forward through these channels rather than through public allegation alone, so that appropriate action can be taken.”

Reaffirming its commitment to transparency and accountability, the Nigeria Police Force said it would continue to investigate all credible allegations of misconduct and sanction any officer found culpable.

“The Nigeria Police Force remains committed to transparency and accountability. 

“We will continue to investigate all credible allegations of misconduct, however they arise, and we will not hesitate to act where wrongdoing is established,” the statement stated.

The statement, however, warned against making unverified allegations capable of undermining public confidence in national security institutions.

“However, the sacrifices of our personnel and the integrity of the institution will not be casually diminished by unverified allegations. 

“Anyone with credible evidence of misconduct should bring it forward through the appropriate channels for investigation in accordance with the law,” the Police stated.

The Force urged Nigerians to exercise caution when making public statements about security agencies and to distinguish between constructive criticism and allegations that lack factual backing.

“The Force calls on members of the public to exercise responsibility in making and sharing allegations concerning national security institutions and to distinguish between legitimate criticism, which strengthens accountability, and unsubstantiated claims, which can endanger public trust and national security.”