Edo Authorities Firm On Disciplining Officers Involved In Phone Searches

The Edo State Police Command has reaffirmed its prohibition on officers conducting phone searches during routine patrols and other operational activities, labeling such behavior as ‘unprofessional.’

In a statement released by the command’s spokesperson, Chidi Nwabuzor, on Friday, this stance was emphasized.

“The purpose of this press release is to notify the general populace, particularly law-abiding citizens of Edo State, about the firm position of the State Police Command concerning the practice of searching citizens’ phones by our operatives during routine patrol, stop-and-search operations, and other related duties within the state,” the statement read.

The Commissioner of Police for Edo State, CP Funsho Adegboye, reiterated the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, during a meeting with the Command’s strategic security managers. CP Adegboye stressed that officers are strictly prohibited from searching citizens’ phones while on patrol, during raid operations, stop-and-search duties, or any other essential tasks. He emphasized that under no circumstances should police officers engage in such activities.

Having served in various capacities at the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, Liberia, East Timor, and the African Union Mission in Somalia, CP Adegboye clarified that officers may only search citizens’ phones when executing a court order from a competent jurisdiction that authorizes such actions during the course of an investigation. However, he strongly warned against the unprofessional conduct of searching phones, stating that any officer caught doing so would face severe sanctions.

The statement concluded with a call to the public to exercise patience with the police and to report any officer engaging in unprofessional conduct through dedicated telephone numbers provided: 07037376464, 08140275108, 08033726625, and 08164523045.

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