The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, has declared that no police officer is permitted to search mobile phones belonging to Nigerians.
According to Fayoade Adegoke, the commissioner of police for Lagos State, the police are not permitted to search phones; rather, if the police find any citizen suspicious of mobile theft or any cyber crime, the police are directed to take the person to the station specifically the cyber section which is responsible for such search.
A statement released by the management of Melody FM, 107.7 FM and signed by Kunle Babarinde confirmed that the commissioner of police had mandated this new order when he visited the radio state on Wednesday at Iyana-Ipaja.
The statement reads:
“If you feel you have been cheated by a policeman or a policeman engaged in corruption, kindly report the policeman to his DPO. If the DPO is not forthcoming, report to the Area Commander. I believe your case will be solved but if you still feel cheated, please report to me directly. My phone number is open to all Lagosians,”
“No policeman has the right to beat citizens. You, the people, are the government’s employers; your taxes support us. Thus, we have to treat you with the appropriate decency.”
“On the issue of searching phones, no policeman has the right to search your phone. If a policeman suspects anything on your phone, he will take you to the station to search the phone. We have a cyber department that deals with all that,”
The commissioner also commended the radio station for its efforts to provide the public with reliable information at all times.
