By Opeyemi Adelakun
The Nigeria Police Force has launched an internal investigation into allegations of corruption against the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2 Command, AIG Moshood Jimoh, and has invited social media personality Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), to substantiate the claims he made against the senior officer.
The Force disclosed on Tuesday that AIG Jimoh had been invited for questioning as part of an administrative review, while the criminal case linked to the allegations remains before a court of competent jurisdiction.
The development was announced in a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, who said the police were committed to ensuring that both the judicial proceedings and the internal disciplinary process run independently.
According to the statement, the criminal matter referenced by Otse had already been investigated and prosecuted following legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), making the case sub judice.
“The criminal matter referenced in public commentary was investigated and is now before a court of competent jurisdiction following the advice of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions. As the matter is sub judice, its adjudication rests solely with the judiciary,” the statement said.
The police stressed that they would not allow media campaigns or public commentary to influence the judicial process.
“The Force will not try this case in the media, nor will it allow its outcome to be shaped by public campaigns or commentary seeking to prejudge the officers or parties involved,” it added.
The Force also confirmed that the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) had invited AIG Jimoh for questioning over the allegations.
Similarly, the FCID headquarters in Abuja issued a formal invitation to Otse on July 30, 2026, requesting him to appear before investigators and provide evidence to support the allegations he has repeatedly made on social media.
According to the police, the invitations reflect the Force’s commitment to investigating all credible allegations of misconduct irrespective of the rank of the officer involved or the public profile of the complainant.
Otse has, over the past several weeks, accused AIG Jimoh in a series of online videos of abusing his office while serving as Commissioner of Police in Lagos.
He alleged that police officers under Jimoh’s supervision framed businessman Ahmed Tajudeen Akanbi over the killings of Sheriff Ishola Salami in April 2023 and Demola Akinloye in August 2024 in the Ajiran area of Eti-Osa, Lagos.
The social media activist claimed that suspects arrested in January 2026 initially confessed to involvement in one of the killings without implicating Akanbi, alleging that subsequent statements linking the businessman to the crimes were obtained through coercion.
He repeatedly challenged AIG Jimoh to release the original statements made by the suspects, insisting he was prepared to face legal consequences if his allegations proved false.
While reaffirming Nigerians’ constitutional right to demand accountability from public institutions, the police warned that freedom of expression does not extend to defamation or the dissemination of unverified allegations aimed at influencing disciplinary outcomes.
The Force maintained that any officer found culpable after due investigation would face appropriate sanctions in line with the law, just as individuals making false allegations capable of damaging the reputation of officers or the institution could also face legal action.
It urged Otse to honour the invitation extended by the FCID and allow both the administrative investigation and the ongoing court proceedings to take their lawful course.
“The Nigeria Police Force remains an institution founded on law, discipline and accountability. No officer is above the law, and no genuine complaint is ignored; nor will any officer be sanctioned outside the procedures the law prescribes,” the statement added.
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