The Nigeria Police Force has invited social media critic Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, to provide evidence supporting allegations he made about police officers during the Nigerian Bar Association’s 66th Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt.
VeryDarkMan spoke as a panelist at the conference on Tuesday, where he alleged that some police officers stationed at checkpoints along major highways pass information about travellers to kidnappers and bandits.
He claimed that such information, including details about the identities and movements of travellers, was being used by criminal groups to facilitate kidnappings for ransom.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, rejected the allegation and said police officers deployed to checkpoints and other locations were responsible for preventing crime, detecting criminal activity and protecting members of the public.
The police said officers at checkpoints regularly confront the same criminal groups they are accused of assisting.
The Force therefore asked Otse to provide evidence backing his claims, particularly any information showing that police personnel identify wealthy travellers and pass their details to kidnappers.
The statement said any evidence provided would be treated as a matter of urgency and investigated.
The police also urged members of the public who have credible evidence of misconduct by officers to report such cases through official channels to enable appropriate action.
