By Ime Silas
The Nigeria Police Force says it has launched a full investigation to unravel the source from, and authority under which online critic, Mr. Martins Otse populary known as VeryDarkMan (VDM) used its uniform for his content creation.
The controversial Social Media Influencer had in his recently produced content which is currently trending online, used costumes believed by the force to be its uniform.
Reacting to the video, the police in a statement posted today on its verified X App (formerly Twitter) dissociated itself from what it described as ‘… unauthorized portrayal…’, averring that the action contravened relevant laws.
The message read “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 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.
While the Nigeria Police Force recognizes and supports the creativity of young Nigerians in the content creation space, we strongly caution against the misuse of Police uniforms or symbols. Unauthorized use of these items undermines the values and integrity of the Force and will not be tolerated”.