The Commissioner of Police for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ahmed Sanusi, has warned Abuja residents not to allow police officers to search their phones during routine arrests or stop-and-search operations.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Monday, Sanusi said no police officer has the legal right to demand access to a person’s phone on the road. He urged residents to raise an alarm immediately if any officer attempts to do so, assuring that the FCT Police Command would respond promptly.
“Don’t allow any police officers to search your phone and we’re saying this due to the abuse and extortive tendencies of some of our officers,”he said.
He explained that officers have been expressly instructed not to search phones simply because they suspect someone of being involved in internet fraud.
“It has been instructed that nobody should search any phone, especially when you just arrest somebody on the road and you start searching the person’s phone, suspecting that he is an internet fra¥dster.”
