The Nigeria Police Force has warned officers against demanding money for bail, saying personnel found culpable would face disciplinary action, while members of the public who pay for bail risk arrest and prosecution.
SP Awu Fidelis, Head of the Complaints Response Unit (CRU), Force Headquarters, Abuja, gave the warning during a sensitisation rally in Lagos on Friday.
The rally was organised by the CRU in partnership with the Eagle Crime Awareness and Prevention Initiative (ECAPI) to promote police accountability, educate residents on their rights and strengthen relations between the police and the public.
Fidelis said the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Olatunji Disu, had repeatedly stressed that bail was free and that no money should be demanded or paid for the release of arrested persons.
He urged residents to report officers who demanded money for bail, warning that both the giver and receiver would be arrested and prosecuted.
According to him, the partnership between the police and ECAPI was an important step towards rebuilding public trust, strengthening accountability and improving police-public relations.
He explained that complaints against police personnel were investigated, with appropriate disciplinary measures taken against officers found culpable.
“The increasing number of people reporting misconduct through the CRU’s offices and communication channels indicated the growing public confidence in the complaint-handling process, ” he said.
Fidelis said members of the public could report police misconduct through the CRU telephone lines, 08057000001 and 08057000002, for calls, and 08057000003 for WhatsApp complaints, as well as through its social media platforms.
Also speaking, the Officer-in-Charge of the CRU, Lagos State Command, DSP Idris Mogaji, said the unit had recorded successes in addressing complaints against police officers through prompt investigations and disciplinary measures.
“We keep the complainants informed about the progress and outcomes of investigations, including disciplinary decisions taken against officers found culpable,” he said.
Mogaji said the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Mr Fatai Tijani, had convened a meeting with officers to address concerns, including the use of unregistered vehicles, particularly buses, by police personnel.
“The command has taken steps to ensure compliance with the directive and had acted on a recent incident involving some police officers,” he said.
He urged residents to report unprofessional conduct through 09111111151 and 09111111150, the command’s social media platforms or written petitions to the commissioner, reaffirming the command’s commitment to accountability.
The founder of ECAPI, Amb. Samuel Eniola, said the organisation would extend its campaign on police accountability and crime prevention to communities, markets, motor parks and police formations across Lagos State.
Eniola said the campaign was designed to educate residents, particularly youths, on the functions of the CRU and the procedures for reporting police misconduct.
He explained that the exercise would cover local government areas, communities, police stations, barracks, area commands, transport unions and other associations across the state.
According to him, the campaign would also target police personnel to improve their understanding of the CRU and its role in receiving and addressing complaints against officers.
Eniola said ECAPI had begun engaging local governments and received encouraging responses, adding that the outreach would continue across the state.
He identified youths as a major target of the campaign, noting that sustained sensitisation was necessary to educate them about criminal behaviour and its consequences.
He added that community-based engagements would help reach young people who might not regularly access information through television, radio or newspapers.
The ECAPI founder stressed that the organisation’s mandate extended beyond advocacy against police brutality to include crime prevention, responsible behaviour and cooperation with law enforcement agencies to build a safer society and strengthen police-public relations.
In his remarks, Tijani, represented by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Administration, Mr Anthony Placid, expressed the command’s support for the partnership.
He commended the leadership of the CRU and ECAPI, describing the collaboration between the police and advocacy organisations as timely and important for strengthening public trust.
Tijani said such cooperation could improve information sharing, promote accountability and enhance security at the community level.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the sensitisation campaign featured roadshows, market outreach, distribution of information materials and demonstrations of the CRU’s complaint-reporting platforms.
