The Nigeria Police Force has challenged VDM to provide evidence backing his allegation that some police officers at highway checkpoints share information about travellers with kidnappers and bandits.
The Force made the demand in a statement issued Thursday by its Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, following comments reportedly made by social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, at the Nigerian Bar Association conference in Port Harcourt.
The police described the allegation as serious, saying claims of such nature require credible evidence.
According to the Force, the allegations were unsubstantiated and capable of damaging public confidence in an institution responsible for protecting millions of Nigerians.
It explained that officers deployed to checkpoints and other strategic locations were assigned to prevent crime, detect criminal activities and protect road users.
The Force added that its personnel regularly confront the same criminal elements allegedly receiving information from checkpoints.
It noted that police officers had been ambushed, attacked and killed by terrorists, kidnappers and other violent criminals.
The police said sweeping allegations against its personnel were unfair to officers working under difficult and dangerous conditions.
It stressed, however, that individual officers who compromise their responsibilities would not be protected.
“Where individual officers are found to have compromised their duty, they will face the full weight of internal discipline and the law,” the statement said.
The Force therefore invited VDM to submit any evidence supporting his allegations.
In particular, it requested information showing that checkpoint officers identify wealthy travellers and subsequently transmit their details to kidnappers to facilitate abductions.
The police challenge VDM to make any such information available, promising that credible evidence would receive urgent attention.
“Any such information will be treated with urgency and investigated thoroughly,” the Force said.
The Force also encouraged Nigerians with credible evidence of police misconduct to use appropriate reporting channels.
It reiterated its commitment to investigating genuine allegations against its personnel, regardless of their source.
However, the police warned that unverified claims could undermine public confidence in security institutions and potentially affect national security.
The Force urged members of the public to distinguish between legitimate criticism and allegations made without supporting evidence.
It maintained that constructive criticism could strengthen accountability, while unsupported claims could weaken trust in institutions responsible for public safety.
The Police challenge VDM therefore comes with an invitation for the influencer to provide specific evidence that can be investigated rather than relying on broad allegations against checkpoint personnel.
