Members of some civil society organisations under the banner of Justice and the Rule of Law have condemned the unlawful arrest, harassment, and continued detention of two bricklayers.

They are Henry Umukoro and Godfrey Jonah, after police allegedly collected ₦500,000 for their bail.

The protesters used the opportunity to take the Bail Is Free campaign to the headquarters of the Delta State Command of the Nigeria Police in Asaba.

The protesters, in their large number, 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 enforcement of the Bail Is Free slogan.

Coordinator of the group and Executive Director of the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, Rev. David Ugolor, said, “On the 11th of April, 2025, Godfrey Jonah was arrested by officers of the Nigeria Police, Oghara Division, Delta State, in connection with a mob action against an individual suspected of theft.

“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.”

Ugolor stated further, “The two bricklayers were initially granted bail after two days, following payment of a staggering sum of ₦500,000 allegedly collected by the Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) of the Oghara Police Division. A few days later, both men were rearrested without a court order and transferred to the Delta State Police Command, Asaba.

“They have remained in detention. No formal charges have been filed; no court proceedings initiated.”

He described what he called a blatant abuse of power as a direct violation of the Nigerian Constitution and the fundamental human rights guaranteed to every citizen.

“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; an independent, transparent investigation into the conduct of all officers involved in the abuse of power; and disciplinary and legal action against any officer found culpable in the unlawful detention, corruption, and rights violations suffered by the two bricklayers,” he added.

The group 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 Police Public Relations Officer, Delta State Command, 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 initially.

Representatives of the protesters were later invited to meet with the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, Olufemi Abaniwonda.