The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has petitioned the Police Service Commission (PSC) to investigate allegations of abuse of office, monetisation of bail, retaliatory prosecution, and deliberate frustration of bail involving the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ajuwon Police Station, Ogun State, identified as Yusuf.
According to a press statement issued on February 12, 2026, and signed by RULAAC’s Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, the petition also implicates officers serving under the DPO in the handling of a case involving a 44-year-old widow, Mrs. Akinluyi Rosemary.
Nwanguma said the petition was necessitated by concerns that the actions of the officers reflected broader systemic issues within Nigeria’s criminal justice system.
The statement noted that criminal justice experts had, during a national webinar in January 2026 titled “Behind the Bars: Interrogating Nigeria’s Rising Inmate Population,” identified arbitrary arrests, weak investigations, monetised bail, and malicious prosecutions as key drivers of prison congestion across the country.
“The case of Mrs. Akinluyi Rosemary reflects many of these systemic concerns,” Nwanguma stated.
RULAAC explained that Mrs. Akinluyi initially reported a case of vandalism at Ajuwon Police Station after discovering damage to an apartment belonging to her landlady.
However, the organisation alleged that instead of carrying out a professional investigation, police officers pressured her to implicate another individual and later reclassified her from complainant to suspect without transparent investigative findings.
The group further alleged that Mrs. Akinluyi was intimidated into signing an undertaking to replace electrical wiring and that officers collected ₦30,000 from her brother as bail, despite official police directives that bail is free.
“Following these developments, RULAAC petitioned the DPO over the irregularities, particularly the alleged unlawful bail payment,” the statement said.
RULAAC added that shortly after filing the petition, Mrs. Akinluyi was invited to the station under the pretext of further discussions but was instead informed that she would be charged in court without prior notice or opportunity to prepare her defence.
She was subsequently arraigned in Charge No. MOJ/2C/2026 on allegations of breaking, stealing electrical fittings valued at ₦745,406, and malicious damage.
“We have been informed that she was told the case would have been resolved without going to court if the earlier petition had not mentioned the ₦30,000 bail payment. If confirmed, this strongly suggests retaliatory prosecution,” Nwanguma said.
RULAAC further alleged that after Mrs. Akinluyi was granted bail by the court and her sureties fulfilled all conditions, the Investigating Police Officer, PC Oludotun Oluwafemi, insisted on transferring her to Abeokuta Correctional Centre while bail documentation was reportedly being finalised.
The organisation claimed that minutes after her transfer, bail was perfected.
According to RULAAC, the development forced a surety to provide ₦15,000 to facilitate the travel of a court official from Ojodu to Abeokuta to secure her release the following day.
The group said the incident subjected Mrs. Akinluyi to avoidable incarceration and trauma, while also imposing unnecessary administrative burdens on the justice system.
“This conduct raises serious concerns that the intention was not merely prosecution, but punishment,” Nwanguma alleged.
RULAAC argued that such practices undermine public trust, weaken the rule of law, and contradict provisions of the Nigeria Police Act 2020 and the Administration of Criminal Justice framework.
The organisation has called on the PSC to conduct an independent investigation into the conduct of DPO Yusuf and other officers involved, determine whether the prosecution of Mrs. Akinluyi was professionally justified or malicious, and investigate the alleged bail payment with a view to ordering a refund if confirmed.
RULAAC also urged the commission to examine the circumstances surrounding Mrs. Akinluyi’s transfer to correctional custody despite the imminent completion of her bail process and to impose disciplinary measures where misconduct is established.
It further called for firm directives reinforcing compliance with police regulations prohibiting bail monetisation and abuse of prosecutorial discretion.
“The Police Service Commission has a constitutional mandate to enforce discipline and professionalism within the Nigeria Police Force. This case presents an important test of that responsibility,” Nwanguma said.
“Retaliatory policing, monetised bail, and deliberate frustration of bail processes have no place in a constitutional democracy.”
RULAAC said it would continue to monitor developments in the case as part of its commitment to promoting accountability within Nigeria’s justice system.
