Bendel Mirror | News Blog
PHOTO Inside Edo Shocking Abuse of Power: Police weaponize false charges against activist exposing their own corruption

Written By: Emmanuel Ikhenebome

20 Oct 2025 07:12 PM

Benin, Edo – In a blatant display of authoritarian thuggery that reeks of desperation to silence dissent, the Nigeria Police Force has once again proven itself a rogue institution more interested in protecting its corrupt insiders than upholding the rule of law.

Today, Comrade General Oni Edigin, the fearless Coordinator General of the Bail is Free Campaign Organisation, was dragged through a farce of a court proceeding after days of unlawful detention by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) at Evbotubu Police Divisional Headquarters.

Charged on a single, laughably contrived count of "providing false information and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace," Edigin's ordeal exposes the festering rot at the heart of Nigeria's policing system—a system that treats whistleblowers as criminals while shielding fraudsters in uniform.

The backdrop to this travesty is as infuriating as it is predictable: Edigin, a dedicated activist championing the rights of the unjustly detained, had the audacity to report fraudulent activities perpetrated by police officers to their own superiors.

In any sane democracy, this would be hailed as civic heroism. In Nigeria's police state, it's twisted into a pretext for abduction and persecution.

For days, Edigin languished in illegal custody, denied basic rights, his health and dignity stripped away by officers who embody the very lawlessness they claim to enforce.

Only after mounting public outrage and solidarity from comrades, friends, and well-wishers—packing the Oredo Magistrate Court 1 to capacity—did the machinery of injustice grudgingly grind forward.

The court granted bail in line with legal provisions, a small mercy amid the circus. Yet even this was tainted: Edigin was shuttled off to a correctional facility like common chattel, only to be released later that evening once bail conditions were met.

The case now slinks toward adjournment on November 11 for a hearing that will, no doubt, test whether Nigeria's judiciary has the spine to dismantle this police-engineered sham.

As Leftist Dickson John Esq., Secretary General of the Bail is Free Campaign Organisation, aptly put it, the "mystery" behind the arrest is no mystery at all—it's a textbook retaliation against anyone daring to shine a light on police graft.

This isn't an isolated horror; it's the rotten norm in a nation where overzealous, unprofessional officers treat citizens as prey. Thousands of Nigerians endure similar nightmares daily: arbitrary arrests, fabricated charges, and extortion dressed as justice.

The Evbotubu DPO and his cronies didn't just detain Edigin—they assaulted the very fabric of democracy, sending a chilling message that exposing police fraud is a one-way ticket to hell. Where is the internal affairs probe? Where is the accountability for these badge-wearing bullies? Buried under layers of impunity, that's where.

The Bail is Free Campaign Organisation extends heartfelt thanks to all who rallied in solidarity, ensuring the day's proceedings unfolded without further sabotage.

But gratitude alone won't dismantle this police leviathan. Nigerians must demand heads roll—from the DPO downward—and reforms that strip these predators of their unchecked power. Until then, activists like Edigin will continue to rise, exposing the truth even as the state tries to bury them alive.

For the Bail is Free Campaign Organisation, this is a victory snatched from the jaws of oppression. For Nigeria's police, it's a damning indictment: Clean up your house, or burn it down with your corruption. The people are watching—and they won't stay silent forever.

Comments


Glory odigie

I salute your writing skills, well written and precise, captivating to read.......

20 Oct 2025 07:59 PM


Dickson John Esq

This indeed is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. We will never rest until the last man is truly n totally free, together we shall build a free fair and egalitarian society.

20 Oct 2025 07:30 PM