The Commissioner of Police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ahmed Sanusi, has declared that Nigerians have no obligation to surrender their mobile phones to police officers who stop them on the road merely on suspicion of internet fraud, popularly known as “Yahoo Yahoo.”
Sanusi said arbitrary phone searches by security operatives violate the directive of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and warned that officers found engaging in the practice would face disciplinary action.
Speaking in a video, the police commissioner acknowledged that some police officers and personnel of other security agencies had abused their powers by unlawfully searching citizens’ phones during stop-and-search operations.
He stressed that a mobile phone can only be searched after a lawful arrest has been made and as part of a legitimate criminal investigation.
According to him, stopping people on the road simply because they are suspected of being internet fraudsters does not justify searching their phones.
He explained that while mobile phones can serve as evidence in criminal cases, investigators are only permitted to examine them after a suspect has been legally arrested and taken into custody in connection with a specific offence.
Sanusi urged members of the public not to comply with demands by officers who insist on searching their phones without lawful authority.
“If any policeman stops you on the road and asks to search your phone, do not open it,” he said, adding that residents should immediately seek help from nearby members of the public and contact the police emergency line.
The commissioner said the FCT Police Command remains committed to enforcing the Inspector-General’s directive prohibiting indiscriminate phone searches and promised that any officer caught violating the order would be sanctioned.
He attributed the misconduct to a few “criminally minded” officers who exploit the practice for personal gain, assuring Nigerians that such personnel would be held accountable.
Sanusi also advised citizens outside the Federal Capital Territory to report similar incidents to the command control centres in their respective states.
His warning comes amid persistent complaints by Nigerians, particularly young people, over alleged harassment, extortion and unlawful phone searches by police officers and other security operatives, despite repeated directives from the Inspector-General of Police outlawing the practice.