The Nigeria Police Force has invited social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, to provide evidence backing his allegation that some police officers at checkpoints collude with kidnappers and bandits.

The Force, in a statement on Thursday by the Force Public Relations Officer, Ani Iniedu, said it had taken note of comments made by Otse at the recent Nigerian Bar Association’s conference in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

VeryDarkMan had alleged that police officers manning checkpoints along major highways identify wealthy travellers and relay information about their identities and movements to kidnappers, thereby facilitating their abduction for ransom.

Reacting, the police described the allegation as serious, unsubstantiated and unfairly damaging to the institution.

The statement said, “The Nigeria Police Force firmly rejects these allegations as unsubstantiated and unfairly damaging to an institution entrusted with the protection of millions of Nigerians. Allegations of this gravity demand a corresponding standard of evidence, and that standard has not yet been met.

“Accordingly, the Nigeria Police Force hereby invites Mr Martins Vincent Otse to produce, without delay, the evidence upon which he based these serious allegations, including any evidence that police personnel at checkpoints identify wealthy individuals and subsequently transmit information about them to kidnappers for the purpose of facilitating their abduction.”

The Force said any evidence presented by the activist would be treated with urgency and thoroughly investigated.

It urged members of the public with credible evidence of police misconduct to approach the appropriate authorities rather than relying solely on public allegations.

The police maintained that officers deployed to checkpoints nationwide were assigned to prevent crime, detect criminal activities and protect citizens, rather than facilitate kidnapping.

According to the statement, police personnel routinely confront criminal elements, and have suffered attacks and casualties in the course of their duties.

The police said, “Indeed, these same police officers routinely confront the very criminal elements alleged to be receiving such information. Police personnel have been ambushed, attacked and killed, while police stations, formations and operational assets have equally been targeted by terrorists, kidnappers and other violent criminals.”

The Force also said that where individual officers were found to have compromised their duties, they would face internal disciplinary measures and prosecution in accordance with the law.

It, however, cautioned against blanket accusations that could demoralise its personnel and undermine public trust in the institution.

“The sacrifices of our personnel and the integrity of the institution will not be casually diminished by unverified allegations. Anyone with credible evidence of misconduct should bring it forward through the appropriate channels for investigation in accordance with the law.

“The Force calls on members of the public to exercise responsibility in making and sharing allegations concerning national security institutions and to distinguish between legitimate criticism, which strengthens accountability, and unsubstantiated claims, which can endanger public trust and national security, ” the police said.

Source: punchng.com

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The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig Gen Buba Marwa (retd.), has said arrests alone cannot defeat drug trafficking without a corresponding effort to seize and recover the proceeds of crime.

Marwa stated this on Tuesday while delivering a presentation titled, “Criminal Property and the Criminal Process: How Can We Make It More Effective?” at the ongoing 43rd Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime, organised by the Centre for Geopolitics, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.

This was contained in a statement by the spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi.

Speaking before an international gathering of judges, law enforcement chiefs, financial intelligence experts and academics, the NDLEA chairman said the success of the criminal justice system should not be measured solely by the number of convictions secured.

He said the process should also be assessed by its ability to make crime unprofitable.

According to him, “A trafficker who loses his liberty but retains his fortune has not truly been defeated. His wealth can finance another operation, support his associates and sustain the criminal enterprise.”

Marwa said the ultimate objective should be to deny criminals the proceeds of their crimes promptly and lawfully while preserving the value of seized assets.

He likened arresting a trafficker without dismantling his financial empire to “pruning a weed at the stem while leaving its roots undisturbed,” warning that illicit wealth could resurface under different names, front companies or jurisdictions.

The NDLEA boss outlined six strategies adopted by the agency to strengthen asset recovery, anchored on the NDLEA Act 2004, the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act 2022 and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.

He cited the forfeiture of the Hook Hotel, a property linked to a fugitive drug suspect, as an example of the agency’s use of non-conviction-based forfeiture.

According to him, the property was sold for $4.2m, with the proceeds paid into the Federal Government’s forfeited assets account domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Marwa said the development demonstrated that fleeing the country could not enable a fugitive to retain the benefits of alleged criminal activities.

He also disclosed that NDLEA investigators and prosecutors were now working together from the commencement of cases, a development he said had shortened the period between arrest and the securing of restraint orders.

The NDLEA chairman said the agency froze bank accounts containing more than $7m in the previous month and secured interim forfeiture orders covering multibillion-naira assets, including filling stations, multi-storey buildings and exotic vehicles allegedly linked to a fugitive methamphetamine syndicate.

On the case involving Nigerian businessman Amadi Simon, whom the agency described as a suspected drug baron, Marwa said three hotels linked to the suspect were placed under professional asset managers instead of being shut down.

He said the measure was aimed at preserving the value of the hotels as going concerns pending the outcome of the trial.

Marwa further highlighted the use of provisions relating to unexplained wealth and living beyond legitimate means as investigative triggers, as well as the interlocutory sale of perishable and depreciating assets to prevent their values from declining before final judgment.

He said the measures had been incorporated into Nigeria’s National Drug Control Master Plan 2026–2030, making financial disruption of drug trafficking organisations a sustained national priority.

The NDLEA chairman identified speed, preservation of value and institutionalisation as three principles guiding the agency’s asset recovery efforts.

He, however, acknowledged challenges, including delays in mutual legal assistance, limited forensic accounting capacity and the need to balance the rights of accused persons with the responsibility of the state to preserve assets pending trial.

Marwa called for faster international cooperation and stronger cross-border recognition of non-conviction-based forfeiture orders.

He reaffirmed the agency’s readiness to strengthen partnerships with foreign jurisdictions and institutions in efforts to dismantle the financial structures supporting drug trafficking.

Operatives of Mowe Division of the Ogun State Police Command, through an intelligence-led operation, have dismantled an illegal ‘baby factory’ syndicate at Abaren Village, Mowe.

The operation resulted in the rescue of two heavily pregnant women and four children, as well as the arrest of six suspects: Florence Ogbona ‘f’ (58), Magdalene Julius ‘f’ (63), Chidike Egwuonwu ‘m’ (40), Onyechu Chidike ‘m’ (35), Stephen Ogbona ‘m’ (39), and an attending nurse, Oseni Idaya ‘f’.

The command described the arrest of the members of this baby factory syndicate as a significant breakthrough in its ongoing fight against human trafficking and child exploitation.

The spokesperson of the state police command, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists on Tuesday.

Babaseyi said, “The operation was carried out on 24th August, 2026, at about 8:00 a.m., when operatives acting on sustained intelligence stormed the syndicate’s hideout located at Toluwalase Street, Abaren Village, via Gbarinmole, a suburb of Mowe, as preliminary investigation revealed that human trafficking and illegal adoption activities had been occurring at the facility over time.

“During the raid, operatives safely rescued two pregnant victims: Ilesanmi Foluke ‘f’ (23), seven months pregnant, and Ejekwa Melody ‘f’ (20), eight months pregnant. Four young children, comprising two males and two females, were also recovered from the scene.”

He explained that further intelligence-led follow-up operations led officers of the command to a hospital within the Mowe axis, where another victim, Blessing Bright Effiong ‘f’ (26), had given birth to a baby boy on 20th August, 2026.

Babaseyi said that while the mother was receiving medical care, the whereabouts of the newborn child could not be accounted for, prompting the arrest of the attending nurse in an attempt to locate the infant.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Eleweran, Abeokuta, to establish the full extent of the syndicate’s activities, locate the missing newborn, and ensure the prosecution of every culpable suspect.

Babaseyi noted that the public would be kept informed as further developments unfold.

Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, commended the operational efficiency and prompt response of the Mowe Division operatives over the illegal acts of those reported to be operating a baby factory.

Ojajuni reaffirmed the Command’s unwavering commitment to stamping out human trafficking, child trading, and all forms of violent crime across Ogun State.

The CP further urged residents to remain vigilant and continue to support the police by providing timely and credible information, assuring them that the command will sustain intelligence-led policing to ensure the safety and protection of all citizens.

Members of the public are encouraged to promptly report suspicious persons or activities through the following channels: Gateway Shield (Toll-Free): 0800 000 9111. Emergency Lines: 09164859299, 09154293464.