For some people seeking bail or answers to a police investigation, the process has allegedly brought fresh financial demands and distress.
In Gombe, these claims, alongside allegations of disregard for a court order, have prompted the Nigerian Bar Association to demand an investigation into a senior police officer.
The NBA wants Assistant Inspector-General of Police Emmanuel Agene suspended pending investigation.
The allegations are serious — claims of payments for bail, financial demands during investigations, and the treatment of suspects and their lawyers.
The NBA Gombe Branch says its investigative committee, chaired by C. D. Kadala, examined complaints from several individuals.
Some alleged victims say they paid fifty thousand naira to secure bail, while another claims to have paid two hundred and fifty thousand naira after spending a night in detention.
A lawyer, Mohammed Babangida, alleges that clients who refused financial demands were subsequently charged to court citing a reported demand of two million naira.
The NBA further alleges that police investigations into a land dispute continued despite a restraining order reportedly issued by Justice K. Karinga of the Gombe State High Court on September 14.
The association also claims that a lawyer’s original call-to-bar certificate was seized during bail proceedings.
When contacted over the wider allegations, a spokesperson said the AIG was unavailable for comment.
The NBA is calling on the Inspector-General of Police to suspend Agene pending an independent investigation, warning it may pursue legal action if the police leadership fails to act.
For the alleged victims, the demand is for answers.
For the authorities, the challenge is to establish the facts and ensure accountability if wrongdoing is proved.
The allegations remain unproven.
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(Editor: Ebuwa Omo-Osagie)
