Civil society organisations under the banner of Justice and the Rule of Law in Delta State have expressed outrage over the unlawful arrest, harassment, and continued detention of two bricklayers by the police after allegedly collecting N5000,000 from them for their bail.
The detained bricklayers are Henry Umukoro and Godfrey Jonah.
The civil society organisations in staging a peaceful protest over the attitude of the police, took their ‘bail is free campaign’ to the headquarters of the Delta State Police Command in Asaba.
The protesters carrying placards with inscriptions such as “I support the bail is free campaign” marched through the busy Okpanam Road leading to the police headquarters to demand the enforcement of the bail is free slogan of the police.
Coordinator of the group and Executive Director of the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, Rev. David Ugolor, said on April 11, 2025, Godfrey Jonah was arrested by police officers attached to the Oghara Division, in connection with a mob action against a suspected thief.
“Moved by a sense of concern, his colleague, Henry Umukoro, approached the police station to secure his bail. But in a shocking twist of events, he was also arrested and detained, without any credible evidence linking him to the alleged crime.
“The two bricklayers were initially granted bail after two days, following the payment of a staggering sum of ₦500,000 allegedly collected by the divisional crime officer of the Oghara Police Division.
“A few days later, both men were re-arrested without a court order and transferred to the Delta State Police Command, Asaba.
“They have remained in detention. No formal charges have been filed, and no court proceedings initiated,” Ugolor narrated.
He described the action of the police as a blatant abuse of power that violates the 1999 Constitution and the fundamental human rights guaranteed to every citizen.
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“It is a gross miscarriage of justice, a chilling reminder of the systemic rot within our policing institutions, where corruption thrives and liberty is traded for bribes.
“The Bail Is Free campaign is appalled by this continued lawlessness and impunity, and we demand without delay the immediate and unconditional release of Henry Umukoro and Godfrey Jonah,” Ugolor added.
The protesters demanded an independent and transparent investigation into the conduct of all the police officers involved in the case, disciplinary and legal action against any officer found culpable in the unlawful detention, and bribery allegations.
They urged the inspector general of police, the Police Service Commission, the National Human Rights Commission, and all relevant oversight bodies to take urgent action, emphasising that the silence of the authorities in the face of such injustice only enables further abuse.
Addressing the protesters, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Edafe Bright, appealed to them to remain calm, saying that the authorities were on the case.
He said the command had ordered an immediate refund of the ₦500,000 collected by the Oghara divisional crime officer to grant bail to the two bricklayers.
Representatives of the protesters were later invited to meet with the state Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Abaniwonda.
