The President of the Eagle Crime Awareness and Prevention Initiative (ECAPI), Samuel Eniola, has urged Nigerians to report police officers who demand money before granting bail, insisting that citizens should not be forced to pay for a service that is legally free.
Eniola made the call during a public awareness road walk and sensitisation campaign in Lagos on Saturday, organised to commemorate the 10th anniversary of ECAPI and the 11th anniversary of the Nigeria Police Force Complaint Response Unit (CRU).
The campaign, held under the theme “Say No to Police Impunity; Police Is Your Friend; Bail Is Free,” focused on educating citizens about their rights and encouraging them to speak out against police misconduct.
Eniola said members of the public should not remain silent when confronted with unlawful demands, harassment, brutality or other forms of abuse by police officers.
He encouraged Nigerians to use the Police Complaint Response Unit to seek redress and hold officers accountable for misconduct.
ECAPI intensifies campaign against police misconduct
Eniola explained that the organisation had continued to promote public awareness of the CRU and its responsibilities through community outreach programmes and advocacy campaigns.
He estimated that public awareness of the unit had risen from below 10 per cent to approximately 20 per cent as a result of sustained sensitisation efforts.
Although describing the improvement as encouraging, he said more work was needed to ensure that Nigerians understood how to access the complaint mechanism.
According to him, ECAPI intends to continue educating communities about police accountability, citizens’ rights and the procedures for reporting misconduct.
He also disclosed that the CRU maintains an office at the Lagos State Police Command where members of the public can submit complaints.
Nigerians given official channels to report police officers
The ECAPI president encouraged citizens to use the following contact channels provided during the campaign to report complaints to the Police Complaint Response Unit:
Nigeria Police Complaint Response Unit (CRU)Telephone, 08057000001,Alternative telephone, 08057000002,SMs, 08057000000, WhatsApp, 08057000003, Social media:X and Instagram: @PoliceNG_CRU, Facebook: PoliceNgCRU
Eniola urged individuals, civil society organisations and local government authorities to support the initiative, noting that improving police accountability requires cooperation between law enforcement institutions and the communities they serve.
ECAPI celebrates partnership with Police Complaint Response Unit
Also speaking at the event, ECAPI’s National Administrative Director, Reagan Onuoha, said the campaign recognised the contributions of the organisation’s founder while celebrating its partnership with the police complaint-handling unit.
Onuoha explained that the collaboration was established to improve public understanding of citizens’ rights, encourage responsible policing and strengthen efforts to reduce crime.
He said sustained advocacy had helped bring the activities of the CRU to greater public attention.
According to him, ECAPI members had organised several community engagement programmes across Lagos to explain how residents could report police misconduct and obtain assistance.
Police accountability and public trust
The campaign followed an earlier development on July 20, 2026, when Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu approved a formal partnership between ECAPI and the Police Complaint Response Unit.
The collaboration was intended to strengthen community policing, improve public awareness and create greater accountability within the Nigeria Police Force.
Eniola said ECAPI would continue working with the CRU to ensure that more Nigerians understand their rights and know where to seek assistance when those rights are violated.
The organisation maintained that public confidence in policing depends not only on crime prevention but also on transparency, respect for human rights and accountability.
