* Say such reckless comments damage institutional reputation, undermine public trust
Linus Aleke in Abuja
The Nigeria Police Force has firmly rejected allegations of collusion with kidnappers and criminals to abduct unsuspecting road users for ransom, insisting that the allegations are not only unsubstantiated but also unfairly damaging to an institution entrusted with the protection of millions of Nigerians.
The Force stated that police personnel deployed in checkpoints and other locations nationwide are there to prevent crime, detect criminal activity and protect citizens, not to facilitate kidnapping.
Accordingly, the Force therefore invites Mr Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as ‘VeryDarkMan’ (VDM), 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 assured Nigerians that any such information would be treated with urgency and investigated thoroughly.
According to a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, the Force said: “The attention of the Nigeria Police Force has been drawn to comments made by Mr Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as ‘VeryDarkMan’ (VDM), at the recent Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Conference in Port Harcourt, in which he alleged that police officers manning checkpoints along major highways relay information to kidnappers and bandits regarding the identity and movement of travellers, thereby facilitating abductions for ransom.”
Noting that the Nigeria Police Force takes all allegations concerning the conduct of its personnel seriously, CSP Iniedu said allegations of this gravity demand a corresponding standard of evidence, and that standard has not yet been met.
“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.
“Our officers deserve better than blanket accusations. 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. Sweeping public accusations that paint the entire Force as complicit in the crimes it exists to prevent are deeply demoralising 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.
“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 allegations alone, so that appropriate action can be taken,” the statement said.
The Force spokesperson said the Force remains committed to transparency and accountability, adding: “We will continue to investigate all credible allegations of misconduct, however they arise, and we will not hesitate to act where wrongdoing is established.”
He warned that the sacrifices of police personnel and the integrity of the institution should not be casually diminished by unverified allegations, urging anyone with credible evidence of misconduct to forward it through the appropriate channels for investigation in accordance with the law.
The Force called on members of the public to exercise responsibility when 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.