by Deji Abiodun
Though it is clearly stated and most times written in all the Police stations in Nigeria that the payment for bail at police stations is illegal but the officers won’t stop asking for money but the newly appointed Inspector General isn’t ready to continue the illegality.
Acting Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, has stated that it is improper for police officers to request for money from suspects for bail. Arase warned that he will no longer accept such from his men because his administration will have zero tolerance for corruption.
The police chief said he will not hesitate to prosecute any officer found guilty of such crime. Arase, addressing officers at his maiden visit to the Lagos State Police Command in Ikeja, also warned that henceforth, every police officer must have sufficient evidence to arrest and interrogate any suspect, which is the normal practice worldwide.
The police boss said he is ready to “resurrect the Enugu Intelligence Training School” to enhance the intelligence gathering of the Force. He added that officers would be retrained regularly to keep them abreast of the latest form of policing.
“I want to discourage custodian approach to policing,” Arase said, explaining that “this will reduce the cases of seeking for bail and unnecessary detention of suspects in our cells.”
“To put a stop to the issue of bribery, we have a platform in the Nigeria Police; in the intelligence department attending to all complains especially in the area of corruption,” he stated.
Arase advised his men to “feel free to send any complaint to that department,” stressing that “bail is free and all those offering money to the police are also corrupt.”
“I am passionate about the intelligence school that is why I am determined to invest on capacity building. I am going to resurrect the Enugu Intelligence Training School and ensure that officers are trained and retrained. They need to be up to date with the modern trend of investigation. It’s obvious that they do things out of ignorance,” the top cop said.
