Ebonyi CP warns officers against phone, account checks

ABAKALIKI—EboNyi State Commissioner of Police, Mrs. Adaku Uche-Anya, has warned officers on stop-and-search duties not to check motorists’ and road users’ telephones and bank account balances.

She said that it’s intruding into their privacy and charged Nigerians to report any police officer who demands their phones and account balances for prosecution.

According to the CP, it is illegal for any police officer to harass and forcefully demand the account balance of any citizen during stop-and-search operations unless the person is under investigation over a criminal matter or related case.

The CP stated this during a town hall meeting with stakeholders of different bodies in the state, including the Traditional Rulers Council, student leaders, artisans, market leadership, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Nigeria Union of Journalists, Christian Association of Nigeria among others, in commemoration of the National Police Day celebration.

The Commissioner assured of transparency in the discharge of their duties and urged road users and residents of the state to help the Command fish out bad officers denting the image of the police by reporting them immediately.

She warned civilians never to engage police personnel violently.

“The meeting is geared towards improving service delivery, maintaining law and order, and ensuring that lives and properties are secure. Partner with the police, give us information, report whenever you see something going wrong. You are permitted to arrest and hand over to the police but never take laws into your hands.”

“No officer has the right to check people’s phones unless there is a petition under investigation, and not on the road. No policeman has the right to ask you to withdraw your money and send it to them. Report to the police-many of them have been dismissed for doing that. I urge civilians to help the police fight crime and illegalities among police on the road. If you see and keep quiet, you are not doing us any good. If you see something, please call me, the control room, or any senior officer immediately. They will not know, we will arrest them to stop illegalities appropriately.”

Reacting, HRH Eze Oketa commended the Commissioner of Police and her team for calming restiveness in the state.

He urged the CP not to relent in safeguarding the state, assuring her that the people of the state will not disappoint her, as he passed a vote of confidence on her.

Meanwhile, the students highlighted some of the challenges they faced at the hands of police personnel within the school campuses, including molestation, threats, torture, checking of phones, and the forceful collection of their money.

They, however, appealed to the CP to organize a meeting between students and the Crack and AK patrol teams to ease the harassment of students.

“We, the students, want to appeal to you to call for a meeting that will be attended by the students, Crack and AK departments of the police, and advise them to leave our phones alone. We call on you to allow us to create a student security group that will collaborate with the police in checkmating crime among the students,” they pleaded.

Also, the market leaders commended the Commissioner of Police for the stakeholders’ engagement, saying that they have recovered stolen items since the partnership and interaction started.