LIFESTYLE Culture

Police Challenge VDM To Prove Highway Checkpoint Claims

by admin on | 2026-08-28 16:03:09

Share: Facebook | Twitter | Whatsapp | Linkedin Visits: 50

---

Police Challenge VDM To Prove Highway Checkpoint Claims

By Ahmad Sirajo Makama, Abuja

The Nigeria Police Force has challenged social media personality Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), to provide evidence backing his allegation that some police officers at highway checkpoints pass information about travellers to kidnappers and bandits.

The Force, in a statement issued on Thursday by its Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, said the allegation was serious and required corresponding evidence.

VDM made the allegation at the recent Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where he reportedly claimed that police personnel manning checkpoints along major highways identify wealthy travellers and relay information about their movements to criminal groups, allegedly facilitating kidnappings for ransom.

Reacting to the claim, the police described it as “unsubstantiated” and said it unfairly portrayed an institution responsible for protecting millions of Nigerians.

The Force maintained that officers deployed to checkpoints and other locations nationwide are tasked with preventing crime, detecting criminal activity and protecting citizens, rather than facilitating kidnappings.

According to the police, officers working at checkpoints routinely confront the same criminal elements accused of receiving such information.

It added that police personnel have been ambushed, attacked and killed, while police stations, operational formations and other assets have also come under attack by terrorists, kidnappers and other violent criminals.

The Force also defended its personnel against what it described as blanket accusations, saying hundreds of thousands of officers perform their duties under difficult, underfunded and dangerous conditions.

“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, while stressing that the entire institution should not be condemned based on an allegation made without evidence.

The police subsequently invited VDM to submit the evidence upon which he based his claims.

The Force specifically requested any evidence showing that police officers at checkpoints identify wealthy individuals and subsequently transmit information about them to kidnappers to facilitate their abduction.

It assured that any credible information provided would be treated urgently and investigated thoroughly.

The police further urged members of the public who have evidence of misconduct by its personnel to use appropriate channels to report such cases, rather than relying solely on public allegations.

The Force said it remained committed to transparency and accountability and would investigate credible allegations of misconduct wherever they arise.

At the same time, it called for responsible public commentary concerning national security institutions, warning that unverified allegations could undermine public trust and national security.