Police Warns Against Phone Searches During Stop-and-Search

The Commissioner of Police for the Federal Capital Territory, CP Ahmed Sanusi, has warned residents, especially young people, not to allow police officers to search their mobile phones during stop-and-search operations. He said such searches go against the orders of the Inspector-General of Police.

Sanusi made this known at a press conference shared by News Central Television on Tuesday. He emphasized that officers cannot randomly search people's phones.

"The issue of phone searching has been clearly stated. Because of the abuse and extortion by some officers, not just in the Police but also in other agencies, it has been ordered that no one should search any phone," he said.

The police commissioner noted that while mobile phones can be evidence in criminal cases, they should only be checked after someone has been legally arrested and taken to a police station.

"This does not change the fact that phones can also be used for crime. But before that can happen, the person must have committed the crime and been properly arrested. Then, if you need to gather evidence, you can search the phone or other items to see if they were used in the crime," he explained.

He said officers should not stop people on the road and demand to see their phones just because they suspect them of internet fraud or any other crime.

"But for you to just stop anybody on the road and say, ‘Bring your phone, let me search, or you have so and so amount on your phone’, any policeman who stops you on the road, according to the Inspector-General of Police’s instructions, we must follow it. Don’t agree. Don’t open your phones. Resist," Sanusi advised.

He encouraged the public to reach out for help by calling the police emergency line or finding nearby officers whenever they face police demanding to search their phones.

"Ask the people nearby to help you call the police emergency number. You will see our men there, and we will ask them why, as long as they are within the FCT. If they are outside the FCT, then you will call your Command CP," he said.

Sanusi confirmed that the command will enforce the Inspector-General’s directive and warned that any officer who breaks this rule will face discipline.

"So I can tell you for sure that we are still against that. We still stand against that. We will enforce the IG’s directive. Some of them are on the attack because they are criminally minded. They want to continue such acts. If we catch them, they will face disciplinary actions and suffer the consequences," he added.