The Commissioner of Police in charge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ahmed Sanusi, has warned Abuja residents against allowing police officers to search their phones without due process.
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Sanusi gave the warning on Monday while addressing newsmen in Abuja, urging residents to raise an alarm whenever an officer attempts to search their phone unlawfully.
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He said: “Don’t allow any police officers to search your phone and we’re saying this due to the abuse and extortive tendencies of some of our officers.
“It has been instructed that nobody should search any phone, especially when you just arrest somebody on the road and you start searching the person’s phone, suspecting that he is an internet fraudster.
“This does not negate the fact that phones are also being used to commit crime. But of course, before such a thing can happen, the person must have committed the crime, must have been properly arrested and brought to the station, then when trying to uncover some evidence, you can search to see whether the phone or other items are being used to perpetuate the crime.
“But for you to just stop anybody on the road and say bring your phone, let me search, is not legal.”
The commissioner added that officers found violating the directive would be acting outside the instructions of the Inspector-General of Police.
“If any policeman stops you on the road, according to the instructions of the Inspector-General of Police, which we are bound to obey to the last of it, don’t open your phone, resist and ask other people to help you call the police. You will see our men there,” he said.
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