Social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has outlined conditions that must be met before he honours a police invitation over corruption allegations he made against the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 2 Command, Moshood Jimoh.
In a statement issued through his lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, VeryDarkMan insisted that the investigation must be conducted with strict transparency to ensure fairness and maintain public confidence in the process.
The activist reiterated his readiness to cooperate fully with the Nigeria Police Force, stressing that he has never resisted any lawful investigation but believes adequate safeguards are necessary given the high-profile nature of the case.
The statement followed the Nigeria Police Force's August 4 announcement confirming that VeryDarkMan had been invited by the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Abuja, to provide evidence supporting the allegations he made against the senior police officer.
According to his legal team, the activist welcomed the decision by the police to investigate the allegations, describing it as a step in the right direction.
"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 said.
However, the lawyers argued that because of the public interest generated by the matter, the seniority of the officer involved and the need to uphold the integrity of the investigation, the process must be transparent, impartial and accountable.
As part of the conditions for honouring the invitation, VeryDarkMan requested that representatives of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), civil society organisations and other independent observers be allowed to monitor the interview to ensure openness and credibility throughout the investigation.
