The Commissioner of Police for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), CP Ahmed Sanusi, has advised residents, especially youths, not to allow police officers to search their mobile phones during stop-and-search operations, describing the practice as a violation of the Inspector-General of Police’s directive.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Sanusi said the ban was introduced to curb abuse of power and extortion by some officers.
> “The issue of phone searching has been clearly stated. Due to the abuse and extortion tendencies of some officers, it has been instructed that nobody should search any phone,” he said.
The police commissioner explained that while mobile phones can serve as evidence in criminal investigations, they should only be examined after a suspect has been lawfully arrested and taken to a police station.
> “This does not negate the fact that phones are also being used to commit crime. But before such a thing can happen, the person must have committed the crime, must have been properly arrested and brought to the station,” he added.
Sanusi warned officers against stopping people on the road and demanding access to their phones based solely on suspicion of internet fraud.
> “For you to just stop anybody on the road and say, ‘Bring your phone, let me search’… Don’t agree. Don’t open your phones. Resist,” he said.
He advised residents whose phones are demanded during stop-and-search operations to immediately call the police emergency line or seek assistance from nearby police officers.
The FCT police boss further warned that any officer found violating the Inspector-General of Police’s directive would face appropriate disciplinary action.
