By Oluwakemi Kindness
Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu has pledged to review excessive bail conditions imposed across police stations nationwide while reaffirming plans to intensify enforcement against illegally tinted vehicles and motorists who conceal or deface their number plates.
Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday during a meeting with the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), led by President Afam Osigwe (SAN), the IGP acknowledged concerns over burdensome bail requirements and promised to ensure compliance with standard policing procedures.
Disu stressed that bail should not be punitive, noting that responsible citizens with verifiable addresses and legitimate means of livelihood should ordinarily qualify as sureties.
He admitted that some police formations had introduced conditions outside acceptable practice and assured the NBA that corrective measures would be taken.
The NBA president urged the police to cooperate fully with judges and magistrates conducting statutory inspections of detention facilities and criticised the growing practice of demanding directors or senior civil servants as sureties.
According to him, the trend has fuelled a “black market” in suretyship, undermining the principle that bail should merely guarantee a suspect’s appearance when required.
The IGP also called on legal practitioners to refrain from presenting civil disputes as criminal cases, warning that such actions overstretch police resources and complicate investigations.
He disclosed that the Force is considering measures to discourage multiple petitions on the same matter from being filed at different police formations.
On the issue of tinted-glass permits, Osigwe said the NBA supports regulation but opposed what it described as transforming the permit system into a recurring revenue-generating exercise.
Defending stricter enforcement, Disu argued that criminals frequently exploit heavily tinted vehicles to evade detection.
Drawing from his experience as Commissioner of Police in the Federal Capital Territory, he said many vehicles recovered from “one-chance” syndicates were heavily tinted and vowed that the police would intensify action against illegal tinting.
He also announced a crackdown on motorists driving without number plates or deliberately covering or defacing their registration numbers, describing the practice as a major security risk that hinders efforts to identify offenders.
While urging Nigerians not to indiscriminately record and publicly shame officers carrying out legitimate duties, the IGP reaffirmed the Force’s commitment to accountability, insisting that personnel found guilty of misconduct would continue to face disciplinary action.
Osigwe commended the police leadership for its swift response to a recent shooting incident involving officers in Delta State, describing the prompt investigation and disciplinary action as a positive signal that misconduct would not be tolerated.
The NBA president further advocated the creation of an integrated electronic criminal database linked with court records to improve case tracking and justice administration.
He also called for increased funding, better welfare and improved equipment for police personnel.
Disu echoed the need for greater public support and paid tribute to three officers who recently lost their lives while attempting to remove improvised explosive devices in Maiduguri, saying they died protecting innocent civilians.
Both the police leadership and the NBA expressed optimism that closer collaboration between law enforcement and the legal profession would strengthen accountability, improve justice delivery and enhance national security.
