Popular social media personality, Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has disclosed that he received an invitation from the Lagos State Police Command but has no intention of honouring it.
The influencer made the disclosure in a statement shared on his social media platforms, where he accused senior police officers of attempting to suppress allegations he has repeatedly made against Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Moshood Jimoh.
According to VeryDarkMan, his decision not to appear before the police was influenced by his long-running public dispute with the senior officer, whom he has accused of corruption in a series of online videos and posts.
The activist claimed that he no longer has confidence in the process because the officers involved in the invitation operate under the same command structure headed by the police chief he has been criticizing.
Speaking on the matter, VeryDarkMan alleged that the invitation was part of efforts to manage the growing controversy surrounding his allegations against the police officer.
“They want me to help cover up AIG Moshood Jimoh. They said the evidence I posted would make Nigerians lose confidence in the Nigeria Police Force, so they want me to support whatever damage control they plan to put out. My answer is no. I will not join in whitewashing AIG Moshood Jimoh. I believe the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, should set up an independent investigative panel to review all the evidence I have presented,” he said.
VeryDarkMan has insisted that any investigation into his allegations should be conducted by an independent body rather than officers under the command structure he is accusing.
The activist maintained that he is willing to defend his claims before a neutral investigative panel but would not participate in any process he believes could compromise the integrity of the investigation.
Over the years, VeryDarkMan has built a reputation for using his platforms to call out alleged wrongdoing involving public figures, celebrities, businesses and government officials.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official statement from the Nigeria Police Force addressing the allegations raised by the influencer or the circumstances surrounding the invitation.
Moreover, this is not the first time VeryDarkMan has publicly rejected or questioned a police invitation.
On December 2023, the social media critic explained why he refused to honour an invitation issued by the police over a complaint filed against him.
At the time, reports emerged that law enforcement authorities were making efforts to secure his appearance following a petition by an unnamed complainant.
Reacting to the development, VeryDarkMan said he received the invitation but chose not to comply because the identity of the complainant was not disclosed in the document.
“I am seeing stories that I am running away from the police. I am not running away from the police. I was sent an invite but the date was contradicting itself. If I am arrested in Abuja today, it would be an illegal arrest and I will sue them. I no dey come station if you no send me a proper letter and the person that reported me,” he said.
A similar situation also played out in October 2024 when VeryDarkMan honoured a police invitation linked to a viral video in which he appeared wearing an outfit resembling a police uniform.
After reporting at the station, his lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, disclosed that the activist was subsequently detained by the police.
“Our client, VDM, has been detained after honouring a police invitation just like yesterday,” Adeyanju wrote at the time.
Before the detention, VeryDarkMan had publicly apologised to the Nigeria Police Force over the controversial video.
“Back from the police station where I was interrogated based on the post I made wearing a costume that the police claim is similar to theirs. I didn’t intend to impersonate the police in any way and I tender my unreserved apologies to the Nigeria Police Force and the office of the Inspector General of Police,” he said.
