Police Invite VeryDarkMan Over Comments at NBA Conference

The Nigeria Police Force has invited social media commentator Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, to substantiate claims he made against police officers at the Nigerian Bar Association conference in Port Harcourt.

Force Public Relations Officer CSP Ani Iniedu announced the invitation in a statement on Thursday.

VeryDarkMan spoke as a panellist at the 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association on Tuesday. During the session on insecurity, he alleged that police officers manning checkpoints along major highways relay information to kidnappers and bandits about the identity and movement of travellers.

He claimed the actions of the officers facilitate abductions for ransom across the country.

The police rejected the allegation. CSP Ani Iniedu stated that personnel deployed to checkpoints and other locations nationwide work 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,” the statement 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.

“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,” Iniedu stated.

At the NBA conference, VeryDarkMan told the audience that he attended the event to share his experiences rather than teach lawyers about the law. He said insecurity had reached members of the judiciary and cited the abduction of a judge who was travelling from Sokoto and later released in Kebbi.

He also accused security agencies of knowing the identities of those commonly described as “unknown gunmen.” He told the panel that included police and military representatives that the perpetrators were known but no action followed.

VeryDarkMan further claimed that politics remained the root of insecurity in the country. He alleged that some government and security officials benefit from the crisis.

A police representative on the same panel, Commissioner of Police in charge of Safer Highways Silas Aremu, rejected the checkpoint allegation. Aremu said criminals monitor police checkpoints and take advantage of their locations. He maintained that officers use the checkpoints to protect travellers.

The Nigerian Bar Association later presented VeryDarkMan with a recognition award for his participation at the conference.

This is not the first time the police have invited the social media commentator. Earlier in August, the Force Criminal Investigation Department invited him over allegations he made against Assistant Inspector-General of Police Moshood Jimoh, the officer in charge of Zone 2.

In that earlier case, VeryDarkMan’s lawyers confirmed he would honour the invitation and requested the presence of independent observers, including members of the Nigerian Bar Association and civil society groups.

The latest invitation centres specifically on the claims he made about police checkpoints during the NBA conference. The Force Public Relations Officer described the allegations as serious and demanded concrete proof.

VeryDarkMan has built a large following through his commentaries on security, governance and public accountability. His appearance at the NBA conference drew mixed reactions from lawyers and members of the public.

The police statement made clear that the invitation seeks evidence to support the claims. It urged members of the public with credible information about officer misconduct to come forward through official channels.

The Force reiterated that officers at checkpoints regularly confront armed criminals. It described the allegation that these officers facilitate kidnapping as unfounded without supporting evidence.

Security operations on major highways remain a key part of police efforts to curb kidnapping and other violent crimes. The Force maintains that checkpoints serve public safety.

The invitation requires VeryDarkMan to present his evidence at the Force Criminal Investigation Department. The police said the investigation would proceed based on the information he provides.