Perhaps one of the finest of cops in Nigeria, Austines Ayasi Akika is one of the most decorated Nigerian police officers going by the numerous awards that adorn his office. These of course tells you that the man must have earned them through dint of hardwork, professionalism and patriotism. This much Iya Dudu deduced from my little investigations. After hearing from a colleague that he said that bail is free, I wondered what gave him the guts to make such statements in Nigeria. I knew he was well respected for his mannerism which I discovered must have been because he has served in all the geopolitical zones in Nigeria and he earned unrivaled accolades from all the places but I thought he was just like any of them - so so talk. But he proved me wrong because I personally have experienced bail for free at the same police station.
I was hungry to know more until I read in an interview a while ago.
Read the story below
Acquiring bail at any police station is usually a transaction that
involves money. Although not a fixed amount, this reporter has
experienced it first hand. A church member had called on me to come bail
him because the police had arrested him after he was reported to have
beaten up a neighbour during a fight between the two and despite
insisting bail is free, I had to part with some money for stationery,
disinfectants, toiletries etc "for the running of the station".
However, the area commander of Idimu police station, Austines Ayasi
Akika who is well known for his acts of professionalism as a Nigerian
police officer, has come out to state once again that it is the right of
the citizen to insist that bail is free. The statement by the senior
officer sounded like the usual sayings of top officers but ACP Akika
while speaking with Guguru FM pointed out that it is the right thing to
do and if the police insist that a person seeking bail must pay for it,
such a person should seek the attention of the divisional police officer
or any other senior officer to wade into the issue.
Akika who has numerous awards to show for his professionalism pointed
out that people are quick to offer financial gratification to police
officer when they have crossed the lines of the law. He said how can you
get to a place and on the wall is boldly written "bail is free" and
they ask you for bail? Why won't you shout and insist that bail is free
as written on the wall and on other posts in the police vicinity?
He gave an example of when he was the divisional police officer at
Adeniji Adele police station. It was the case of an elderly woman whom
he assisted to get her grandson released who was picked up during a
routine raiding by the police. He had instructed his men to let the
woman's grandchild go with her while he (Akika) was on his way out of
the station.
He was alarmed when he came back about an hour later to meet the woman
at the station.Upon asking why she was still there, the old woman said
she was afraid her grandson (who has been released to her) might be
arrested again by the police because they didn't collect a dime for the
bail.
