The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) has made it clear that bail is free and has banned its officers from collecting money henceforth.
The Force Public Relations Officer, FPRO, Prince Olumuyiwa Adejobi, has told Nigerians what to do if asked to pay bail money in any of their stations.
Adejobi was responding to a post on X that asked if bail was free on Sunday.
A concerned Nigerian, Emmanuel Oyemachi on X highlighted the issue.
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Oyemachi asked:
“Sir is bail truly free?”
Adejobi maintained it was illegal for policemen to demand bail payment.
He said:
“Police administrative bail is free.
“If anyone demands bail money, you too demand an invoice or receipt to prove payment. If he can’t issue it, don’t pay. That is a fraud. I have said this severally.
“Bail bond is just a document or form. And we produce it at the Nigeria Police printing press in Ikeja. All any unit needs do is to request for any document, it will be released. The IGP is planning to even expand the capacity of the printing press to produce all the papers and documents we need in the police. The printing press is headed by a commissioner of Police who has his budget to produce what we need. So offices and units are to visit the place with approval, and the documents will be released.”
The FPRO then recounted his honest years in the service.
He said:
“I have never collected bail money before. I started my career in Sagamu in 2006, and you can go there to find out. I was not ready for nonsense. Those who are elders and grown-up ones in Sagamu would testify to that. Sagamu was peaceful in my time as the operations officer. …. Muyiwa…..in sagamu, lol,. A year, 8 months, I moved to admin work, and later PR line in 2008, and I have been in PR line up till now.”