By DANJUMA LAMIDO

I have watched the video posted by social media influencer VeryDarkMan (VDM) in which he publicly declared that he would not honour an invitation extended to him by the National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) of the Nigeria Police Force. Beyond the theatrics and attempts to rally public sympathy, what stood out was an act that amounts to nothing less than an affront to the authority and institutional integrity of the Nigeria Police Force.

In every democratic society governed by the rule of law, law enforcement agencies reserve the right to invite any citizen whose name features prominently in an ongoing Investigation. Such invitations are not convictions; they are part of due process. Refusing to honour a lawful invitation while simultaneously ridiculing the institution that issued it sends a dangerous message that some individuals consider themselves above the law.

The most disturbing aspect of VDM’s reaction, however, is his desperate attempt to drag Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Moshood Olohundare Jimoh, into a matter that clearly has nothing to do with him.

I have carefully read and reread the invitation letter issued by the National Cybercrime Centre. At no point does the letter suggest that VDM was invited because of AIG Moshood Olohundare Jimoh. There is absolutely no reference to the senior police officer anywhere in the document.

The letter simply states that the Police are investigating a case in which VDM’s name featured prominently and therefore require his presence to assist in the investigation. That is standard policing practice across the world.

This naturally raises an important question: if VDM has consistently portrayed himself as someone assisting the Police in exposing crime and criminality, why is he suddenly afraid of the same Police inviting him to provide information in an investigation?

Since when did receiving a police invitation become a crime?

Why should a citizen who constantly proclaims his commitment to justice become uncomfortable when called upon by investigators? If he genuinely believes in accountability, transparency and the rule of law, honouring the invitation should have been the easiest decision to make.

More curious is his repeated effort to personalise the matter by linking it to AIG Jimoh. The National Cybercrime Centre does not fall under the jurisdiction or operational control of AIG Moshood Olohundare Jimoh. Therefore, any attempt to portray the invitation as a personal vendetta orchestrated by him is misleading, unfair and unsupported by the facts contained in the invitation itself.

Public discourse should be anchored on facts, not conspiracy theories manufactured to excite social media followers.

No citizen should be allowed to create the impression that police invitations are optional depending on one’s popularity or online influence. Such conduct undermines respect for law enforcement institutions and encourages lawlessness among impressionable followers who may begin to believe that compliance with lawful police processes is a matter of personal convenience.

The Nigeria Police Force is an institution established by law, not by social media validation. Its powers to investigate complaints and invite persons connected with investigations are derived from the Constitution and relevant statutes, not from the approval of online influencers.

It Is therefore disappointing that a matter as straightforward as a police invitation has been transformed into a media spectacle aimed at discrediting both the institution and an officer whose name does not even appear in the correspondence.

If there is one aspect of this episode that remains difficult to understand, it is the apparent silence of the Inspector-General of Police. Allowing such open defiance and public ridicule of the Nigeria Police Force to pass without a firm institutional response risks sending the wrong signal about the authority of the Force.

One is left wondering whether the only plausible explanation for permitting this public humiliation of the Nigeria Police Force under the current leadership is a reluctance to confront intimidation from a social media personality. A law enforcement institution should never appear hesitant to uphold its lawful processes because of public pressure or online influence.

The rule of law must remain supreme. No individual, regardless of popularity or social media following, should be permitted to place himself above lawful investigative procedures or to drag innocent officers into matters in which they have no involvement simply to manufacture controversy.

The Nigeria Police Force deserves respect for carrying out its constitutional responsibilities, and every responsible citizen owes it the duty of cooperating with lawful investigations rather than turning them into content for social media.

•Danjuma Lamido writes from Wuse 2, Abuja. Email: danjumalamido2011@gmail.com