The Plateau State Police Command has warned its officers against stopping members of the public on the road to search their mobile phones without a court warrant.
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The Commissioner of Police, Bassey Ewah, gave the warning in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Alabo Alfred.
According to the statement, no officer or personnel of the Plateau State Police Command has the legal authority to stop any citizen and demand access to the contents of their mobile phone without a court warrant.
The Command said the warning is in line with the Commissioner’s stance against misconduct, abuse of power and unprofessional conduct by police personnel.
“In line with his unwavering stance against misconduct and unprofessional behaviour by Police personnel, the Commissioner of Police Plateau State Command, CP Bassey Ewah, psc(++), FCAI, MSPSP, wishes to reiterate unequivocally, that no officer or personnel of the Plateau State Police Command has the legal authority to stop any citizen and demand access to or search the contents of their mobile phone on the road without a court warrant,” the statement read.
The Commissioner urged residents of the state to politely resist such unlawful demands and report any officer found engaging in the practice through the Command’s official complaint channels.
He said the Command remains committed to lawful policing, professionalism and respect for the fundamental rights of citizens.
Ewah assured residents that the police would continue to protect lives and property while operating in line with the law and global best practices.
“The Plateau State Police Command remains committed to protecting the lives, properties and rights of all Plateau citizens.
“We therefore assure the good people of the State of our continued commitment to ensuring effective policing in line with the law and global best practices,” he added.
The warning comes amid repeated complaints by citizens across the country over alleged unlawful phone searches by security operatives at checkpoints, patrol points and during routine stop-and-search operations.
The Command’s latest position reinforces the principle that mobile phones contain private data and personal communications, and that access to such contents must be backed by lawful authority.
The police urged residents to remain calm, cooperate with lawful security operations and report cases of misconduct for appropriate disciplinary action.
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