The Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, has banned the rank and file of the Nigerian Police Force from illegally accessing the phones of Nigerians.
The ban was contained in a circular to Police Commands across the country.
The instruction from the Inspector General of Police became necessary due to some policemen who would flout privacy rights of law-abiding citizens by stopping and searching their phones without recourse to legal processes.
Officer in Charge of Complaint Response Unit (CRU) of the Nigeria Police, Abayomi Shogunle tweeted:
With this order, the Police are unable to search phones of civilians under any pretext without first obtaining a search warrant from a competent court with jurisdiction.
This edict just gave Nigerians a firmer backbone in the defense of their right to privacy.
It shouldn’t have been possible to search people’s phones in the first place if people knew their rights. According to the law, you cannot search people’s personal property unless you have “irrefutable” evidence that they’ve committed/somehow involved in a crime. This is good though, @ least Nigerians will know not to cower and give their phone to police men.
This kink in the judicial system that u talked about, do u care to elaborate?
I don’t agree with u that the police hierarchy finds it difficult to punish erring police officers. I ve seen police officers suspended, detained, dismissed and even prosecuted when credible and irrefutable proof is presented against them. Even the courts are willing these days to grant reliefs of victims of police brutality and recklessness.
And they went through ur phone?
Hehehehee. We’re wonderful that way in Nigeria.
I am fairly certain that he will relish the slaps he’s going to land on your cheeks.
I was never giving my phone to anybody anyway!
Good one though! About time
Reinforcing an already stated right. Good. But is this going to stop the menace? No. Last year, they started the send in a picture or video of a policeman collecting 50 bucks (and action will be taken over him), look what good that has done us. I’m yet to hear of a single video. Shrug.
The problem is complicated by a kink in our judicial system, corrupted police force and a generally spineless electorate. If someone makes a statement to the police about the misconduct of one of their officers, the case is doomed by a number of tactis, and the offender gets a pat at the shoulder. I think this has made the masses in general become a zombie, giving in to the sheer power of the force and over looking the options available to it.
The Nigerian masses know their right. The average Nigerian knows that it’s wrong for the police to forcefully drag him to the station. They just also know that it’s a futile attempt to try and have then punished.
Good morning!
I’ll relish every moment of my defiance the next time a policeman demands for my phone. 😀
Good.
Glad IG spoke out. Have been stopped countless times @ ojuelegba under bridge, that place is their hide out.
Na wa ohhhhhh. I can’t believe something like this still happens. The average Nigerian really needs better education. Smh.
Thank God! Hopefully our hungry officers will follow through.
I am still wondering How a Policeman would ask to go through my phone, onto say wetin happen?
This is good news sha.
Whew ! Sweet relief ! I wouldn’t have to be constantly deleting my whatsapp and bbm chats anytime I want to leave the house. They are a huge menace in this Lagos especially Ikeja and Surulere areas.
Its about time!!!!
You know, I was so downtrodden yesterday (just had a fight with mum) until I came across this post on LIB and boy was my spirit rejuvenated!
It’s about goddamn time those street urchins get some pruning. How would you stop and search me wey never steal person cup before? For kini? I can’t have the kinda pictures and videos I want to on my phone because I’m skeptical on where and when I could get stopped, what rubbish!
Is this a step in the acceptance direction for Nigeria and Nigerians alike? No? Oh well…
But wait o!! These people on the street that don’t know their right to privacy, are they same ones who know their right to beat up homosexuals??