The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has formally petitioned the Police Service Commission (PSC) demanding a thorough investigation into allegations of extortion, retaliatory prosecution, abuse of authority, and deliberate frustration of bail processes by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ajuwon Police Station, Yusuf Joseph, and officers under his command.
The petition, signed by RULAAC’s executive director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, centers on the case of Mrs. Akinluyi Rosemary, a 44-year-old widow who initially approached the station as a complainant in January 2026 but was allegedly transformed into a suspect through irregular practices.
According to RULAAC’s statement released on Wednesday, February 12, 2026, Mrs. Akinluyi reported a case of vandalism after discovering damage to an apartment belonging to her landlady. Instead of a professional investigation, officers reportedly pressured her to implicate another person, reclassified her from complainant to suspect without clear evidence and forced her to sign an undertaking to replace electrical wiring under intimidation.
She was also reportedly asked to pay ₦30,000 as “bail,” in violation of police directives that bail must be free.
RULAAC subsequently petitioned the DPO highlighting these irregularities, particularly the unlawful bail payment.
Shortly after, Mrs. Akinluyi was invited back to the station under the guise of further discussions. Sh was however charged to court without prior notice or chance to prepare her defense.
According to RULAAC, she was arraigned in Charge No. MOJ/2C/2026 at a magistrate court on counts of breaking and entering, stealing electrical fittings valued at ₦745,406, and malicious damage.
RULAAC claims she was explicitly told the matter could have been “resolved without going to court” had the earlier petition not referenced the ₦30,000 payment—a statement the group says indicates retaliatory motives.
Post-arraignment, the court granted bail, and sureties fulfilled all conditions promptly. However, Investigating Police Officer PC Oludotun Oluwafemi allegedly insisted on transferring her to Abeokuta Correctional Centre immediately, even as bail paperwork was being finalized. Bail was perfected minutes after her transfer, forcing a surety to pay ₦15,000 for a court official’s travel from Ojodu to Abeokuta the next day to secure her release.
RULAAC says this resulted in avoidable detention, trauma for the widow, and unnecessary strain on the justice system.
RULAAC described the actions as evidence of punitive intent rather than legitimate prosecution, contributing to Nigeria’s rising pretrial detention and prison congestion—issues spotlighted in a recent national webinar on inmate population drivers.
- The organization urged the PSC to:
- *Launch an independent probe into DPO Yusuf and involved officers
- *Assess if the prosecution was justified or malicious
- *Investigate the ₦30,000 bail collection and order a refund if verified
- *Examine the rushed transfer despite imminent bail perfection
- *Apply appropriate disciplinary sanctions for any proven misconduct
- *Reinforce directives against bail monetization and prosecutorial abuse
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