The Nigeria Police Force has condemned the unauthorized use of its official uniform by social media personality Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, following the release of a viral video.
In the video shared on his social media platforms, Otse appeared wearing a police uniform, introducing himself as CSP VeryDarkMan and Nigeria’s “number one online police officer.”
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He claimed his mission is to “sanitise the social media space” by standing against oppressors, particularly targeting online vendors.
Otse stated that unlike regular police officers, who must adhere to various procedures and protocols, he would readily tarnish the reputations of offenders brought before him if evidence is provided.
In response, police spokesman Muyiwa Adejobi announced that the Force has initiated an investigation to trace the origin of the police gear used in the video.
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Adejobi emphasized that the Force disassociates itself from the unauthorized portrayal of its officers.
The statement reads: “The Nigeria Police Force strongly condemns the unauthorised use of official uniforms and accoutrements by online personality Mr Martins Otse, popularly known as ‘VDM’, in a video posted on his social media platforms. The Force unequivocally disassociates itself from this unauthorised portrayal and has launched a full investigation to determine the source of the police gear used, as well as the authority under which he acted.”
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While acknowledging the creativity of young Nigerians in content creation, the police cautioned against the misuse of police uniforms or symbols.
The statement added that unauthorized use undermines the values and integrity of the Force and will not be tolerated.
“It is important to remind the public that the unauthorised use of police uniforms, insignia, or accoutrements constitutes a criminal offence, as stipulated in Section 251 of the Criminal Code Law and Section 133 of the Penal Code Law, and is subject to strict penalties. While the Nigeria Police Force recognises and supports the creativity of young Nigerians in the content creation space, we strongly caution against the misuse of police uniforms or symbols. Unauthorised use of these items undermines the values and integrity of the Force and will not be tolerated.”
