'Don't Open Your Phones': Police Give Nigerians Unusual Advice
- The FCT police commissioner has warned Abuja residents not to allow officers to conduct unlawful roadside phone searches
- He has clarified the circumstances under which police may legally examine a suspect's mobile phone during investigations
- The FCT command has warned that officers who violate the Inspector-General's directive will face disciplinary action
The Commissioner of Police for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ahmed Sanusi, has told Abuja residents, especially young people, not to allow police officers to search their mobile phones during stop-and-search operations.
Speaking at a press conference shared by News Century Television, Sanusi said the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) had already banned random phone searches because some officers and personnel of other security agencies had abused the practice to extort members of the public.
Source: Getty Images
“Nobody should search any phone,” he said in the video circulating via X on Tuesday, July 21.
Sanusi, however, made it clear that phones could still be examined during a criminal investigation, but only after a suspect had been lawfully arrested and taken to a police station.
According to him, officers have no right to stop someone on the road, suspect them of internet fraud or another offence, and demand access to their phone.
“Don’t agree. Don’t open your phones. Resist,” he told residents, referring to unlawful roadside phone searches.
What residents should do
The police commissioner advised anyone confronted by officers demanding to search their phone to contact the police emergency line or ask people nearby to help reach the police. Those outside the FCT should report such officers to the Commissioner of Police in their state.
Sanusi also warned that any officer who ignores the Inspector-General's directive would face disciplinary action.
He said the FCT Police Command remains committed to enforcing the ban, noting that officers caught carrying out illegal phone searches would be sanctioned.
Watch clip below:
Police arrest 4 officers over ICPC chairman extortion
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that four police officers were arrested after allegedly extorting N53,000 from ICPC chairman Musa Aliyu during an illegal roadside operation in Abuja without knowing his identity.
FCT Police Commissioner Ahmed Sanusi said investigations showed the officers abandoned their assigned duty posts, mounted an unauthorised checkpoint, and allegedly forced Aliyu to withdraw cash from a POS operator before sharing the money.
Source: Legit.ng
