The Nigeria Police Force has publicly condemned social media influencer Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, for wearing an unauthorized police uniform and insignia in one of his videos. The Force announced that it has initiated a full investigation to trace the origin of the uniform and accoutrements seen in the video.
In the video, Otse donned complete police attire, referring to himself as a “social media police” rather than an activist. The Nigeria Police described his actions as a violation of Section 251 of the Criminal Code Law and Section 133 of the Penal Code Law, which prohibits unauthorized use of police insignia and attire.
A statement on the police’s official X (formerly Twitter) account clarified their stance: “The Nigeria Police Force strongly condemns the unauthorized use of official uniforms and accoutrements by an 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 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 reiterated the legal implications of such actions, stressing that the unauthorized use of police symbols compromises the integrity of the Force. While acknowledging the value of content creation in Nigeria, the police urged creators to refrain from misusing official symbols, warning that any breach would be met with strict penalties.
