The Nigeria Police Force says every suspect released on bail signs a form declaring that no money changed hands.

Many suspects, however, sign the document without reading it, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, has said.

Iniedu disclosed this in an interview with the Real Broadcasting Network published on Wednesday, amid persistent complaints that Nigerians still parted with money before regaining freedom despite the absence of an official bail fee.

The interview was conducted in Pidgin English and has been translated into standard English. Below is what he said.

Is bail really free?

Yes, according to the police. Iniedu said the law does not permit any officer to collect money for bail at any police station, regardless of the offence or the bail conditions attached.

He said, “The law does not allow anyone to pay money for bail at any police station.”

Then why do so many people still pay?

Iniedu did not deny that extortion happens. Instead, he pointed to a lack of public awareness of the law as one reason people comply without resistance.

He said, “You know, as we discussed the first time, we do a lot of things to improve this trust. We discovered that many of our people do not know the law. If they know the law, they will also know their rights.”

He added that the Inspector-General of Police also gives regular directives to officers on conduct.

He said, “Another thing we do to improve this trust is that the Inspector General of Police gives directives from time to time to police officers on how to treat members of the public and how to carry out their duties.”

What is this form suspects are made to sign?

Before release, suspects are handed a document to read and sign. Iniedu said the form explicitly states that the suspect did not pay any money for their bail.

Many people, however, sign without reading it because they simply want to leave.

He said, “When you are being released on bail, you are given a form to read and sign. Many people do not read the form before signing it.”

He continued, “The form states that you did not pay a single naira for the bail. They simply give it to you to sign.

“Many people just sign it because they want to leave. But if you read it, it clearly states that you did not pay any money.”

What should you do if an officer asks for money?

According to Iniedu, suspects should not argue or resist openly. Instead, he advised bringing out a phone in front of the officer and contacting the force directly.

He said, “I want to tell you this from my heart: if you go to any police station and they ask you to bring money or pay for bail, there is a very simple thing you can do. Just take out your phone.”

He explained further, “Tell the officer, ‘I want to call you.’ Take out your phone and dial the numbers.”

What numbers can be used to report extortion?

Iniedu released two phone lines for direct complaints, offering to share them himself.

He said, “May I give out the numbers? Yes. 08057000001. The second one is similar, but it ends with 2 — 08057000002.”

He said a third line was available for those who preferred not to speak directly with an officer.

He said, “Then the third one accepts text messages or WhatsApp. You can use it if you don’t want to talk too much. You can simply send a voice note, video or picture.”

Is this connected to the POS ban near police stations?

Yes. Iniedu referenced an existing directive limiting where mobile money agents can operate near police formations.

He said, “Talking about bail and extortion, the Inspector General of Police has given a directive that, number one, no POS operator should operate within 200 metres of any police station. That is a new directive.”

The directive followed numerous allegations of complicity in corrupt practices and extortion linking some POS operators to police personnel around stations nationwide.

Has the POS ban worked?

Not entirely. Iniedu has previously acknowledged that he could not ascertain the level of compliance with the directive across police stations, though he maintained that complaints against police extortion had reduced in the preceding three months.

What is the broader context?

Iniedu said the Inspector-General of Police regularly engages directly with members of the public as part of ongoing efforts to rebuild trust in the force.

He said, “They come out and talk to people because we discovered that many of our people do not know the law.”