ABUJA, Nigeria — Social media commentator Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has posted a video that he described as his first evidence supporting allegations that some police officers assist kidnappers.
Otse published the clip on his Instagram account on Thursday, August 27, 2026, hours after the Nigeria Police Force asked him to substantiate comments he made at the Nigerian Bar Association’s annual conference in Port Harcourt.
“My evidence number 1,” he wrote alongside the video.
The recording showed police officers being paraded. Otse did not provide a detailed explanation in the post connecting the footage to his specific allegation that personnel at highway checkpoints transmit information about travellers to kidnappers.
The material therefore represents what Otse has presented as evidence. His wider allegations have not been established by an official investigation or court proceeding.
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Police Demand Supporting Information
Otse made the disputed remarks while participating in a panel discussion at the NBA’s 66th Annual General Conference.
He alleged that some officers stationed at checkpoints identify travellers believed to be financially capable of paying ransoms and relay information about their vehicles, identities and movements to criminal groups.
The Nigeria Police Force rejected the accusation as unsubstantiated and damaging to the institution.
In an official statement published on X, the Force invited Otse to provide the information upon which he based his claims.
Police authorities said any material submitted would be investigated urgently.
They maintained that checkpoint personnel are deployed to prevent and detect crime, adding that officers have themselves been attacked and killed by kidnappers, terrorists and other armed groups.
The Force said individual officers found to have compromised their duties would face disciplinary proceedings and prosecution.
It nevertheless cautioned against allegations that implicate the entire institution without supporting evidence.
Otse Defends His Conference Appearance
Otse’s participation in the conference had already prompted debate, with some critics questioning the NBA’s decision to include him on a panel.
He said he had not been invited to instruct lawyers but to describe his encounters with insecurity and the aftermath of violent attacks.
“There has been a lot of debate about why I was invited to this NBA conference. I’m not here to teach you people law; I’m here to share experience,” he said.
Otse said the discussion, which he referred to as “Unknown Known Gunmen”, extended beyond legal arguments because judges and other members of the legal profession had also become targets of abduction.
“This is not a topic of ‘may I, my lord’ because your lords are being kidnapped,” he said.
He referred to the reported kidnapping of a judge travelling from Sokoto who was abducted in Kebbi and released after about a week.
Otse also criticised news organisations over what he considered insufficient reporting of attacks and their consequences.
“When the killings happened, our media are now lazy and they do not really cover these killings and the results of these unknown gunmen,” he said.
The commentator said his position on insecurity was informed by visits to communities affected by violence, including Yelwata, and by witnessing the aftermath of attacks elsewhere.
“I have seen blood and seen people burnt alive,” he said.
Otse maintained that his appearance at the lawyers’ conference was intended to introduce experiences from outside courtrooms into the national discussion about kidnapping, armed violence and the conduct of security institutions.
