Patience Ogbo/
A non-profit organisation, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to provide the needed funds for the police as a panacea for bail money collection by officers of the Force.
Mr Okechukwu Nwanguma, the Executive Director of RULAAC said this during a one-day Civil Society Organisation/media engagement on the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) bail process and citizens’ rights organized by the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) in partnership with the Nigeria Policing Program (NPP).
Nwanguma said the engagement was aimed at increasing public awareness on the NPF bail process, to clarify the rights of citizens, powers and duties of the police under the law.
“If we do not address the root cause of corruption, which includes poor funding, welfare and equipping the Police Force, ‘bail is free’ may only be a cliche. You do not expect Divisional Police Officers, Area Commanders to use their salaries to run their stations. Divisions run on zero budget. This is affecting the liberty of Nigerians as bail money collection is being used as a justification to run the station.
“There is no justification to deny people their liberty. The government should properly fund the police and the money should be judiciously used.”
Barr. Malachy Ugwummadu, President, Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), said, “The police may be underfunded, yet that does not give them the licence to collect money for bail as the law of the land stipulates free bail.
“I am not supporting legalising bail money as a way of raising fund for the police. Underfunding the Police Force should not be transferred to members of the public.”
Barr Ene Sarah Unobe, the Executive Director, International Centre for Human Rights Nonviolence and Safety Awareness said judicial corruption on bail would fuel bail money collection by the police.
“Some people preferred to give bail money to the police rather than giving the bail money in court which is usually tedious. The court collects more money from suspects in the name of the bail condition. Many people are inside different prisons today due to lack of capacity to meet bail conditions. Those in authorities should look into the court bail money.
Also commenting on the issue of bail, the policemen at the event blamed lawyers and the government for bail money collection.
“Officers at the stations print the bail papers, arrest warrant, and any other document required to run a police station. We use our money to go to court to prosecute suspects, give money to prisons officials to convey suspects to prison and pay court clerks. Also, on some occasions, lawyers collect money from their clients and they lie that they will give such money to the police for bail.”