Phone Searches During Stop-And-Search Illegal, Says FCT Police Chief

The Commissioner of Police (CP) in charge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ahmed Sanusi, has advised residents, particularly youths, not to allow police officers to search their mobile phones during stop-and-search operations, saying such actions contravene the directive of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).

Speaking during a press conference on Tuesday, Sanusi reiterated that police officers are prohibited from randomly searching the phones of members of the public, stressing that the practice has led to abuse and extortion by some security operatives.

“The issue of phone searching has been clearly stated. Due to the abuse and extortion tendencies of some officers and men, not only of the Police but even other sister agencies, it has been instructed that nobody should search any phone,” he said.

The police commissioner explained that while mobile phones could serve as evidence during criminal investigations, they could only be searched after a suspect had 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. Then, when trying to uncover some evidence, you can now start searching to see whether the phone or other items have been used to commit or perpetrate such crime,” he stated.

Sanusi emphasised that officers have no authority to stop members of the public on the road and demand access to their phones based on mere suspicion of internet fraud or any other offence.

“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 instructions of the Inspector-General of Police, we are bound to obey to the last of it. Don’t agree. Don’t open your phones. Resist,” he said.

The FCT police boss urged residents confronted by officers demanding to search their phones to immediately contact the police emergency line or seek assistance from nearby police personnel.

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

Sanusi reaffirmed the command’s commitment to enforcing the IGP’s directive banning indiscriminate phone searches and warned that any officer found violating the order would face disciplinary measures.

“So I can tell you for free that we are still against that. We still stand against that. We will still enforce the IG’s directive. Some of them are on the attack because they are criminally minded. They want to perpetuate such acts. If we get them, they will face disciplinary actions and will be made to face the consequences,” he added.