The Nigeria Police Force has officially summoned social media commentator and activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, demanding that he present concrete proof to substantiate his claims that officers stationed at highway checkpoints collude with criminal syndicates.

The invitation follows controversial remarks made by Otse during a session at the Nigerian Bar Association’s conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. At the event, the activist alleged that police personnel deployed along major transit routes identify high-net-worth travellers and relay information regarding their movements and identities to bandits and kidnappers, effectively facilitating abductions for financial gain.

Responding via an official statement issued by Force Public Relations Officer Ani Iniedu, the police authorities firmly repudiated the accusations, characterizing them as unsubstantiated, reckless, and deeply damaging to the image of the law enforcement agency.

The Force emphasized that assertions of such severe magnitude require an equally high threshold of empirical evidence, which the activist has failed to provide to the public or law enforcement. Consequently, the police urged Otse to present any available documentation, recordings, or specific details to aid a thorough internal investigation.

Defending its operational track record, the police leadership pointed out that checkpoint personnel perform their duties under perilous and underfunded conditions to safeguard citizens. The statement highlighted that numerous officers have fallen victim to ambushes, attacks, and fatalities inflicted by the very criminal elements they are accused of aiding.

While assuring that any officer caught engaging in compromise will face swift prosecution, the police warned against sweeping generalizations that demoralize personnel and undermine public confidence in national security structures.