The Nigeria Police Force has issued a strong warning to content creators after online personality Martins Otse, known as “VeryDarkMan”, appeared in a viral video wearing a police uniform without permission.
In the video posted on his social media, VDM introduced himself as “CSP VeryDarkMan” and claimed to be Nigeria’s “number one online police,” dedicated to exposing online offenders, especially exploitative vendors.
VDM explained that unlike traditional police, who follow official procedures, he would directly expose those accused of unfair practices on social media if there was enough proof against them.
Reacting to the video, the Nigeria Police released a statement on Saturday, condemning VDM’s actions and announcing an investigation into how he acquired the police uniform and under what authority he used it.
The statement clarified, “The Force unequivocally disassociates itself from this unauthorized 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. It is important to remind the public that the unauthorized use of Police uniforms, insignia, or accoutrements constitutes a criminal offense, as stipulated in Section 251 of the Criminal Code Law and Section 133 of the Penal Code Law, and is subject to strict penalties.”
The police also acknowledged the creativity in content creation but warned that unauthorized use of police symbols undermines the values and integrity of the Force and will not be tolerated.
