The Plateau State Police Command has distanced itself from the investigation into the alleged hacking incident involving ₦180 million stolen from the Martins Vincent Otse Initiative, an NGO founded by social media influencer, VeryDarkMan.
In a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer for Plateau State, DSP Alabo Alfred, the command confirmed that the crime was neither reported to them nor committed within 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 [VeryDarkMan] said he is coming to Jos, that does not mean that we are the ones handling the case,” Alfred explained.
The NGO, which focuses on addressing educational challenges in Nigeria, launched in October and has received significant donations, including ₦100 million from music producer Don Jazzy.
However, hackers allegedly accessed its account, stealing ₦180 million. VeryDarkMan claimed the suspects were tracked and that one arrest had been made.
Clarifying the jurisdiction of the case, Alfred said, “The crime happened in Abuja. So, he is not coming to Jos to report an incident that did not happen within our jurisdiction. If he reported the case at the Force CID level, it is the Force PRO who can speak about it. If the case was reported at the FCT Command, their spokesperson would handle it.”
He further noted that officers from the appropriate jurisdiction could visit Jos to investigate but emphasized that the Plateau State Command could not comment on a matter unrelated to its operational area.
Similarly, the Federal Capital Territory, Police Command stated it was unaware of the alleged incident. FCT Command spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, said, “The FCT Police Command is not aware of any case involving VeryDarkMan’s missing funds and is not conducting any investigation into it.
The individual in question should be contacted to clarify where the matter was reported, as there is no record of such a case with the FCT Police Command.”
