The Plateau State Police Command has refuted claims of involvement in the investigation of the alleged hacking of funds from the Martins Vincent Otse Initiative, an NGO owned by social media personality Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan.
In his earlier statements, Otse alleged that hackers stole ₦180 million from the NGO’s account, leaving only ₦20 million.
He claimed that a suspect had been apprehended and mentioned traveling to Jos to recover the stolen funds.
However, DSP Alabo Alfred, Plateau State Police Command spokesperson, clarified that the case was not reported to the command and did not fall under their jurisdiction.
“The matter is not reported to us. We are not the ones handling the matter because the crime was not committed within our jurisdiction. If he said he is coming to Jos, that does not mean we are involved. The crime happened in Abuja,” Alfred explained.
He further stated that if the case was reported at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (CID) or FCT Police Command, officers from those units could proceed to Jos for investigations and report back to their originating jurisdiction until Plateau State Police confirmed.
The Martins Vincent Otse Initiative, launched in October to address Nigeria’s educational challenges, has received substantial donations, including ₦100 million from music producer Don Jazzy.
The incident has raised concerns about the cybersecurity of NGO financial systems and the need for enhanced protection against cyber threats.
Earlier, the FCT Police Command also denied knowledge of the incident, with its spokesperson Josephine Adeh stating: “The FCT Police Command is not aware of any case involving VDM’s missing funds and is not conducting any investigation into it. The individual in question should clarify where the matter was reported.”
The unresolved case has sparked widespread skepticism and a call for more transparency surrounding the alleged theft.