EXPLAINER: What to know about police bail, how to report extortion

On Wednesday, the Nigeria Police Force's Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, addressed persistent complaints about people paying money for police bail despite the absence of an official fee. According to Iniedu, the law explicitly prohibits any officer from collecting money for bail at any police station. He explained that many suspects sign a form declaring no money was exchanged without realizing they are doing so.

Iniedu also revealed that a lack of public awareness of the law contributes to this issue, as people may not know their rights. The Inspector-General of Police regularly issues directives to police officers on how to treat the public, which may help improve trust. If an officer asks for money for bail, Iniedu advised contacting the force directly by phone to report the incident.

The police force has released two phone numbers for direct complaints: 08057000001 and 08057000002. There is also a third option for text messages or WhatsApp messages, which can be used to report extortion without speaking directly to an officer. Additionally, a directive has been issued limiting the proximity of mobile money agents (POS) to police stations to avoid potential complicity in corrupt practices and extortion.

However, compliance with this directive has not been fully achieved, and complaints against police extortion have reportedly reduced in the past three months.