The group under the aegis of “Bail Is Free Campaign Organisation” in Benin City, Edo State Capital, on Tuesday called on proper funding of the Nigeria Police Force in order for the institution to be free of corrupt/sharp practices.
Speaking on behalf of his members at the Secretariat of Nigeria Union Journalists (NUJ), Edo State Council, Coordinator of the group, Oni-Edigin Justice, said that they are out to sensitise and educate the people on the need to make the country safe as well assisting the police as enforcement agent.
He said: “The police are our pride that can never be undermined. So therefore, we have vow to uphold the power of fairness and egalitarian society and no other organization or institution can
jeopardize it.
“Today a fair percentage of police in Edo State have been remodeled and sharpened for good works and awaken their spirit of professionalism
accountability and transparency and also protection of lives and properties.
“We are currently advocating for the reformation of Nigeria Police Force on how to better their lives, and families and to fully discharge their services.
“Our general objective is to assist the Federal Government of Nigeria to stop corruption in her institution, particularly the Nigeria Police Force who have the ultimate great value to the nation building”, he said.
The Bail is Free Campaign organisation Coordinator, however, remarked that the police sometimes still engage in sharp practices in the cause of discharging their duties to the people.
“So many times, a suspect will be detained in the cell, in the name of investigation without court order, a reliable surety will even come soliciting for their bail, the police will deny them bail. That is an abuse of Police Act section 62No.2.
“We noticed on different occasions, that suspects will be charged to court all because they refuse to cooperate with police fraudulent extortion, especially when they find out that the Bail is Free Group is involved.
“So many times a suspect will be brought to the police station with severe injuries probably after being beaten up by some youth or group of vigilantes, police will receive the suspect without interrogating the jungle justice of the people that brought the suspect.
“Still, the police will detain suspects even without medical attention. See Section 1, Sub Section (b) of Police Act 2020. We are getting complaints daily that some police officers are collecting money from citizens to grant access to suspects’ relatives in the cell.
“We discovered from experience that if a citizen reported an officer to superior officers for unprofessional conduct, the matter will be hidden under the carpet,” he said.
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