FCT Police Commissioner Warns Against Arbitrary Phone Searches Over ‘Yahoo Yahoo’ Suspicion
The Commissioner of Police in the Federal Capital Territory, Ahmed Sanusi, has warned Nigerians, particularly young people, not to allow police officers to search their mobile phones merely on suspicion of internet fraud.
The Commissioner said indiscriminate phone searches by police officers on the road violate the directive of the Inspector General of Police, stressing that a person’s phone can only be searched after a lawful arrest and as part of a criminal investigation.
He acknowledged that some police officers and personnel of other security agencies had abused their powers by conducting arbitrary searches of people’s phones. However, he clarified that the directive does not prevent mobile phones from being used as evidence where a person has been lawfully arrested and is being investigated for a crime.
Sanusi urged members of the public not to surrender their phones to officers who stop them on the road without lawful justification. He advised residents of the FCT to report such incidents through the police emergency lines, while people in other states should contact their respective command control centres.
The Commissioner also warned that police officers who violate the directive would face disciplinary action, as complaints of harassment, extortion, and arbitrary phone searches continue to generate concerns among Nigerians, particularly young people.
