Don’t Hand Over Your Phone to Police for Search, FCT Commissioner Tells Residents

Residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have been advised not to surrender their mobile phones for roadside searches by police officers, as the FCT Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, reaffirmed that such actions violate the directive of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).

Speaking during a public engagement, the police commissioner said officers are not permitted to stop people on the road and begin searching their phones simply because they suspect them of internet fraud or other offences.

According to him, the Nigeria Police Force remains committed to enforcing the Inspector-General’s directive prohibiting indiscriminate phone searches, particularly during routine stop-and-search operations.

He explained that the directive was issued following repeated complaints about the abuse of power by some police officers and personnel of other security agencies.

“The issue of searching phones has already been addressed,” Sanusi said.

“Because of the abuse and misconduct by some officers—not only in the police but also in other sister security agencies—it has been directed that nobody should search your phone, especially when you are simply arrested or stopped on the road.”

The commissioner stressed that officers have no right to demand access to a person’s mobile phone merely because they suspect the individual of being involved in internet fraud, popularly known as “Yahoo Yahoo.”

“For an officer to stop you on the road and say, ‘Bring your phone, let me search it,’ is against the directive of the Inspector-General of Police,” he stated.

Sanusi encouraged residents of the FCT to politely resist unlawful demands to search their phones and immediately report such incidents to the appropriate police authorities.

“According to the Inspector-General’s directive, don’t open your phone. Resist. Call the attention of people around you and contact our emergency lines. You will see our officers, and we will ask those involved why they acted that way,” he said.

He, however, clarified that his assurance applies to incidents that occur within the Federal Capital Territory, where his command has direct jurisdiction.

The commissioner warned that the FCT Police Command would continue to sanction officers who violate the directive, insisting that the command would not tolerate misconduct.

“We are still against that. We will continue to stand against it, and we will continue to enforce the Inspector-General’s directive,” he said.

In a strongly worded remark, Sanusi suggested that some officers who engage in such illegal practices do so out of criminal intent.

“Some of them are on the job because they are criminally minded,” he added.

His comments come amid growing public concerns over allegations of harassment, extortion and unlawful phone searches by some security operatives during stop-and-search operations across parts of the country.

The Inspector-General of Police has repeatedly warned officers against violating the rights of Nigerians and has maintained that mobile phones should not be searched without lawful authority or due process.

The latest reassurance from the FCT Commissioner of Police is expected to renew public confidence and remind officers operating within the territory that the directive remains in force.