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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Crime & Justice

Charge me to court, VeryDarkMan challenges police over checkpoint kidnapping claims

From The Punch · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Social media activist Martins Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, challenged the Nigeria Police Force to charge him to court rather than demanding evidence for his claims that security personnel aid kidnappers.
  • Otse stated he would present his evidence in court if charged, accusing police, military, immigration, and customs of benefiting from and aiding insecurity in Nigeria.
  • He questioned the government's security budget and vowed to continue speaking out, asserting his allegations were aimed at holding public institutions accountable.

Social media activist Martins Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan, has directly challenged the Nigeria Police Force, daring them to bring him to court instead of requesting evidence for his serious allegations. Otse claims that security personnel manning checkpoints identify wealthy travelers and relay this information to kidnappers, facilitating abductions.

I’m not going to be giving the police my evidence. Why would I do that? I would be charged to court, and I would turn down the evidence in court.

— VeryDarkManReacting to the police invitation and his refusal to provide evidence directly to the force.

Reacting to an invitation from the police, Otse stated in an Instagram video that he would not hand over his evidence to the police, preferring to present it in court. "I'm not going to be giving the police my evidence. Why would I do that? I would be charged to court, and I would turn down the evidence in court," he declared, adding that his lawyers were prepared.

So when I get to your office, you charge me to court. I can go to court on that same day. My lawyers are on ground.

— VeryDarkManChallenging the police to initiate legal proceedings rather than demanding evidence.

Otse maintained his stance that elements within the police, military, immigration, and customs actively aid and profit from the country's ongoing insecurity. He questioned the effectiveness of government spending on security, citing the persistent issues of banditry, terrorism, and kidnapping. "It is the police people that aid insecurity. It is the military men that benefit from insecurity. That's why it can never stop," he alleged.

It is the police people that aid insecurity. It is the military men that benefit from insecurity. That’s why it can never stop.

— VeryDarkManAccusing security agencies of complicity in the country's insecurity.

The activist accused Nigerians of defending security agencies despite routinely criticizing them for failing to curb insecurity. He emphasized that his comments aim to ensure public institutions are held accountable and reaffirmed his commitment to speaking out on national issues. "But like I said, why would I want to give you my evidence? I wouldn’t do that. Who would take you to court? You understand? When you're ready, I'm ready. Face the love, don’t play," Otse stated, concluding that he stands by his words.

But like I said, why would I want to give you my evidence? I wouldn’t do that. Who would take you to court? You understand? When you’re ready, I’m ready. Face the love, don’t play.

— VeryDarkManReiterating his stance on presenting evidence only in a court of law.
About this summary

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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