The Edo State Police Command has taken a firm stance against the unauthorized searching of citizens’ phones during routine patrols, labeling the act as “unprofessional conduct” and reiterating the ban on such actions.
SP Chidi Nwabuzor, the command’s Public Relations Officer, emphasized this directive in a statement posted on the command’s Facebook page, echoing the sentiments expressed by the state’s Commissioner of Police, CP Funsho Adegboye.
In the issued statement, CP Adegboye reaffirmed the Inspector General of Police’s stance on prohibiting officers from engaging in the invasive practice of searching citizens’ phones during patrol, raids, stop-and-search operations, or any essential duties. The CP highlighted that officers should only resort to phone searches when authorized by a court order from a competent jurisdiction for investigative purposes.
The statement reads, “The purpose of this press release is to notify the public, in particular the law-abiding citizens of Edo State, of the state police command’s stance on the routine stop and search, patrol, and patrol operations in the state on citizens’ phones.
“In a meeting with the command’s strategic security managers, Edo State’s Commissioner of Police, CP Funsho Adegboye, reiterated Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun’s directive prohibiting the search of citizens’ phones while on patrol, conducting raids, conducting stop and search operations, or performing other necessary duties.
“He issued a warning, saying that police officers and operatives should never conduct phone searches on people while performing their duties.”
The CP cautioned officers against violating this directive, warning of severe consequences for those caught engaging in the unauthorized searching of phones. He encouraged the public to cooperate with the police and report any officer found indulging in this unprofessional conduct.
