The Nigeria Police Force has condemned the unauthorised use of its official uniform by social media personality Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, in a recently released video.
PUNCH Online reports that in the viral video posted on his social media platforms, Otse was seen wearing a police uniform and introducing himself as CSP VeryDarkMan and Nigeria’s “number one online police officer.”
The online activist stated that he is dedicated to sanitising the social media space by using his platform to stand against oppressors, particularly online vendors.
He added that, unlike regular police, who must go through various procedures and protocols, he would immediately tarnish the names of offenders brought before him, provided there is evidence.
Reacting to the development in a statement on Saturday, police spokesman Muyiwa Adejobi said the Force had launched an investigation to determine the source of the police gear used.
Adejobi added that the Force disassociates itself from the unauthorised portrayal of its officers in the video.
The statement reads: “The Nigeria Police Force strongly condemns the unauthorized use of official uniforms and accouterments 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.”
The police noted that while it recognises and supports the creativity of young Nigerians in content creation, it strongly cautions against the misuse of police uniforms or symbols.
It added that unauthorised use of these items undermines the values and integrity of the Force and will not be tolerated.
The statement said, “It is important to remind the public that the unauthorized 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.”
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