The Lagos State Police Command has issued an order to members of the public.
According to the Police, Nigerians are not required to pay any money when filing complaints or securing bail at any police formation across the state.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, issued the reminder in an interview with newsmen on Wednesday in Lagos, urging residents to resist extortion and promptly report such incidents to the Command’s Complaint Response Unit, CRU.
Hundeyin’s warning follows rising complaints from Lagos residents who alleged that some officers demand cash before accepting reports or releasing suspects on bail, despite the Force’s long-standing slogan, “Bail is Free.”
A resident recounted how he was detained at a station in the Meiran area after being falsely accused of stealing a neighbour’s iPhone.
He claimed police officers demanded N2,000 before he was given a sheet to write his statement. Even after the complainant returned to withdraw the accusation, having recovered the phone from someone else, the police reportedly demanded N10,000 for his release. After bargaining, he said he paid N5,000 to secure his bail.
Another victim, a university student, described being stopped by officers during a routine search at Oshodi. When he couldn’t provide a receipt for his mobile phone, which he said was handed down by his brother, he was taken to the station.
Officers allegedly threatened him with false charges of armed robbery unless he paid N10,000. “I told them I only had N5,000 in my account. They checked my balance, then escorted me to a POS where I withdrew N4,000 and gave it to them,” he said.
Hundeyin described such acts as “corrupt practices” and encouraged residents to stand their ground and report extortion directly to the CRU. “People should not succumb to extortion; rather, they should make a formal complaint of officers who demand money for any offence to the state through CRU of the Lagos State Police Command,” he said.
“A person was asked for money; he called the CRU, who weighed in on the matter, and he was released without paying any money.
“People should learn to take advantage of solutions that the police have made available,” the image maker said.
