The Nigeria Police Force has condemned the use of its official uniform and accoutrements by social media personality, Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan.
Recent footage by Otse, captured him in a police uniform, describing himself as an online police officer without bottlenecks as compared to the traditional police institution.
Introducing himself as CSP VeryDarkMan and Nigeria’s “number one online police officer”, Oste said that he is dedicated to sanitising the social media space by using his platform to stand against oppressors, particularly online vendors.
However, the Nigeria Police in a statement on Saturday, signed by its spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi disassociated itself from such an “unauthorised portrayal” of the Force.
The police said it had also “launched a full investigation to determine the source of the police gear used, as well as the authority under which he acted.”
A statement read partly, “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.”