The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has rejected allegations by Martins Vincent Otse, the social media personality better known as VDM, suggesting that officers supply bandits with information
In a statement on Thursday, Ani Iniedu, force spokesperson, said the “gravity” of Otse’s allegations requires “corresponding standard of evidence, and that standard has not yet been met”.
During the NBA conference on Tuesday, the social crusader alleged that police officers are becoming hostile to Nigerians, owing to poor remuneration and welfare.
“There is no welfare for them (police officers). Instead of protecting us, they turned on us. They pass information to the bandits. They even rent their guns to them sometimes,” he alleged.
The force spokesperson said “sweeping public accusations” against police officers who risk their lives every day to protect the citizens are “deeply demoralising” to the force.
Iniedu asked VDM to produce the evidence upon which he anchored his allegations.
“The Nigeria Police Force firmly rejects these allegations as unsubstantiated and unfairly damaging to an institution entrusted with the protection of millions of Nigerians,” the statement reads.
“Allegations of this gravity demand a corresponding standard of evidence, and that standard has not yet been met.
“Sweeping public accusations that paint the entire Force as complicit in the crimes it exists to prevent are deeply demoralizing 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 allegation alone, so that appropriate action can be taken.”
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Yinmu
As if the invitation will yield anything