The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has petitioned the judiciary in Ogun State, raising concerns over the alleged commercialisation of bail processes, the unregulated activities of bondsmen, and the interference with defence counsel in magistrate courts across the state.
In a petition dated February 18, 2026, and addressed to the Chief Judge of Ogun State at the High Court Complex in Abeokuta, which was made available to Securitynewsalert.com, the Executive Director of RULAAC, Mr Okechukwu Nwanguma, alleged that bail administration at the magisterial level is increasingly imposing financial burdens on defendants and undermining the constitutional presumption of innocence.
He said that RULAAC has received multiple reports indicating that magistrate courts fix bail bond sums for minor and bailable offences at amounts reaching ₦2 million or higher. According to the group, such high bail terms compel defendants to rely on private bondsmen, who often charge up to 10 per cent of the bond sum alongside additional costs.
The organisation noted that in some instances, defendants allegedly pay as much as ₦300,000 before trial, describing the practice as a financial penalty rather than a mechanism to ensure court attendance.
The advocacy group also raised an alarm over alleged arbitrary and excessive verification charges by bondsmen. It cited reports of bondsmen demanding ₦60,000 to verify two sureties residing in Mowe, within the same magisterial jurisdiction.
RULAAC said the absence of a fixed fare structure, publicly available tariff, or transparent regulatory framework creates opportunities for exploitation, adding that verification within the same jurisdiction should not attract excessive charges.
The petition further alleged that some bondsmen engage in touting within court premises by positioning themselves around court facilities and approaching defendants directly when police vehicles arrive. It claimed that bondsmen often solicit phone numbers of defendants’ relatives to demand fees, a development the group said undermines the dignity of court environments.
RULAAC also alleged that bondsmen sometimes perfect bail without involving defence lawyers who secured bail orders. The organisation claimed that defendants are often not informed that they can choose between using their legal practitioners or engaging bondsmen where permitted by law.
The group warned that such practices weaken pro bono legal representation and restrict access to justice for indigent defendants.
According to RULAAC, if the allegations are verified, they could result in financial exploitation of defendants, erosion of defence counsel authority, commercialisation of court processes, and reduced public confidence in the judiciary.
The petition, signed by Okechukwu Nwanguma, Executive Director of RULAAC, urged the Chief Judge to institute an administrative inquiry into bail and bondsmen practices in magistrate courts across the state.
The group also called for the issuance of practice directions to establish proportionate bail benchmarks for common offences, publication of jurisdiction-based verification fee schedules, regulation of bondsmen’s conduct within court premises, and the creation of a complaint and disciplinary framework for misconduct.
RULAAC further urged the judiciary to mandate that accused persons be clearly informed of their right to choose between lawyer-backed surety arrangements and bondsmen, where permissible under the law.
The organisation emphasised that bail is intended to secure attendance at trial and should not become a transactional process that places liberty at the mercy of private intermediaries. #https://securitynewsalert.com/
