Police warn officers and public: bail is free, paying or taking cash means arrest
- The police Complaints Response Unit says bail is free and no officer should demand money for it.
- Its head, Awu Fidelis, warned in Lagos that both the person paying and the officer taking the money risk arrest and prosecution.
- Residents were urged to report misconduct on the unit's phone lines, WhatsApp and through written petitions.
Di Nigeria Police Force don warn dia officers and di public say bail na free, and anybody wey pay or collect money for am dey risk arrest and prosecution.
Di warning come at one sensitisation rally for Lagos on Friday, wey di force Complaints Response Unit (CRU) organise with di Eagle Crime Awareness and Prevention Initiative (ECAPI). Di rally start for Lagos State Police Command headquarters for Ikeja and e include roadshows, market outreach and sharing of information materials.
Awu Fidelis, one superintendent of police wey head di CRU for Force Headquarters for Abuja, talk say di Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, don talk am many times say no money should be demanded or paid to secure di release of person wey dem arrest.
E talk say both di person wey give and di person wey take such payments go dey arrested and prosecuted, and e urge residents to report officers wey ask for money.
Why e matter to ordinary Nigerians
Paying for bail for police station na something many Nigerians know well, and di force now dey talk openly say e wrong. Anybody wey dem arrest, or relative wey dey try secure dia release, no suppose hand over cash.
Fidelis talk say dem dey investigate complaints against officers and dem dey take disciplinary measures where dem find officers guilty. E talk say di rising number of people wey dey report misconduct through di CRU offices and channels show say public confidence dey grow for di process.
Residents fit reach di CRU on 08057000001 and 08057000002 for calls, and 08057000003 for WhatsApp complaints, and also dia social media platforms. Punch report slightly different numbers for di same unit (08057000101 and 08057000102 for calls, 08057000103 for WhatsApp).
Di Officer-in-Charge of di CRU for Lagos, Idris Mogaji, one deputy superintendent of police, talk say di unit dey keep complainants informed about di progress and outcome of investigations, including disciplinary decisions.
E talk say di state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, don meet officers over concerns including di use of unregistered vehicles, especially buses, and say di command don act on one recent incident involving some officers. Residents fit report misconduct on 09111111151 and 09111111150, through di command social media platforms, or by written petition to di Commissioner of Police.
Tijani, wey Deputy Commissioner of Police Anthony Placid represent, talk say di command support di partnership and say such cooperation fit improve information sharing and security for community level.
Di ECAPI founder, Samuel Eniola, talk say di campaign go reach communities, markets, motor parks, police stations, barracks and area commands across Lagos, with youths as key target. E talk say di group work pass advocacy against police brutality to include crime prevention and cooperation with di police.
Punch quote di ECAPI coordinator, Eniola Adam, talk say di rally na to educate residents on brutality, extortion and di fact say bail na free.
Wetin go happen next
According to di organisers, di sensitisation go continue across local government areas and markets for Lagos. Di police talk say dem go investigate complaints and discipline officers wey dem find guilty, though di sources no give figures on how many officers don face action so far.
