Outrage in Asaba as ‘Bail Is Free’ Campaign Shuts Down Police HQ Over N500,000 Bail Scam, Illegal Detention
In a powerful display of civic resistance, members of the Bail Is Free Campaign, an advocacy group championing constitutional rights, on Monday shut down the Delta State Police Headquarters in Asaba in protest against what they described as the unlawful detention of two citizens and the extortion of N500,000 under the guise of bail.
Chanting solidarity songs and wielding placards with inscriptions like “Bail is Free” and “Justice for Umukoro and Jonah”, the group demanded the immediate release of Mr. Henry Umukoro and Mr. Godfrey Jonah, both bricklayers, who have remained in police custody for over a month without trial.
According to the group’s coordinator, Mr. David Ugolor, the ordeal began on April 11, 2025, when Mr. Godfrey Jonah was arrested by officers of the Nigeria Police Force, Oghara Division, in connection with a mob attack on a suspected thief. Mr. Umukoro, who went to the station to secure bail for his colleague, was also arrested without any clear evidence implicating him.
What started as an effort to assist a friend quickly spiraled into a gross abuse of power,” Ugolor stated. “Both men were allegedly granted bail after paying N500,000 to the Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) of Oghara Police Division, only to be re-arrested without a court order on April 18 and transferred to the Delta State Police Command in Asaba, where they remain unlawfully detained.”
Ugolor labeled the incident “a mockery of justice and an outright violation of the Constitution,” and urged the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, to step in. “The silence of the authorities only emboldens further abuse,” he warned.
Reacting to the protest, Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Edafe Bright, appealed for calm and confirmed that the police command had ordered an immediate refund of the N500,000 extorted from the two men. He assured the public that the matter was under review.
Representatives of the protesters were later ushered into a closed-door meeting with the Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Abaniwonda Olufemi. As of the time of filing this report, details of that meeting had yet to be made public.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage, adding fuel to the growing concerns over police misconduct, illegal detentions, and the systemic abuse of bail procedures across Nigeria.
