Social media personality Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has outlined conditions he wants met before honouring the invitation extended to him by the Nigeria Police Force over allegations he made against the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2 Command, AIG Moshood Jimoh.
In a statement issued through his lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, the activist said he remains willing to cooperate with the police investigation but insisted that the process must be conducted in a transparent and accountable manner.
The statement follows the Nigeria Police Force’s announcement that the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Abuja, had invited VeryDarkMan to substantiate allegations he made against the senior police officer.
According to his legal team, the activist welcomed the decision of the police to investigate the matter and has no intention of obstructing the process.
“Our client appreciates the decision of the Nigeria Police Force to commence an official investigation into the concerns he raised and reiterates his willingness to cooperate with the investigation.
“For the avoidance of doubt, our client has never opposed any lawful investigation. On the contrary, he remains ready, willing and available to honour any invitation lawfully extended to him by the Nigeria Police Force,” the statement read.
However, the lawyers argued that the high public interest surrounding the allegations, as well as the seniority of the police officer involved, makes it necessary for the investigation to be conducted under conditions that guarantee public confidence.
They therefore requested that the interview be monitored by independent observers, including representatives of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), civil society organisations and other credible stakeholders.
According to the legal team, the presence of independent observers would help ensure that the investigation is conducted fairly, transparently and in accordance with due process.
VeryDarkMan’s lawyers maintained that the activist remains committed to cooperating fully with investigators once the requested transparency measures are put in place.
