The Nigeria Police Force has formally invited social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), to produce evidence supporting allegations he made against police officers during a panel session at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt.
In a statement released on Thursday, Force Public Relations Officer CSP Ani Iniedu rejected the claims as unsubstantiated and damaging.
Otse, who spoke as a panellist on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at the 66th NBA conference, alleged that officers manning checkpoints along major highways identify travellers who appear able to pay ransom and relay their identities and movements to kidnappers and bandits, thereby facilitating abductions.
The police said personnel deployed to checkpoints and other locations nationwide are there to prevent crime, detect criminal activity and protect citizens—not to assist criminals.
“Indeed, these same police officers routinely confront the very criminal elements alleged to be receiving such information,” the statement noted. It added that sweeping accusations demoralise officers who risk their lives in the fight against insecurity.
The Force invited 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.”
Any such information, the police said, would be treated with urgency and investigated thoroughly. Compromised officers would face disciplinary action and the law. The Force also encouraged members of the public with credible evidence of misconduct to report through official channels rather than public allegations alone.
Otse’s appearance at the conference, on a panel addressing insecurity and “known gunmen,” had already drawn mixed reactions among lawyers, with some questioning the decision to invite a social media commentator to the gathering of legal professionals.
During the session, he emphasised that he was there to share personal experiences of covering violence and its impact on victims, including members of the judiciary, rather than to lecture on the law. He referenced cases of judges being abducted and described witnessing scenes of attacks in various parts of the country.
The invitation marks the latest development involving the activist and the police. The NBA conference continues in Port Harcourt through the end of the week.
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