IGP Bans Nigerian Police From Phone Checks, Arbitrary Arrests

The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has issued a stern directive halting the arbitrary arrest, detention, and phone checking of youths by police officers across the country, warning that erring personnel and their supervisors will face severe punishment.

The directive in a wireless message dated December 13, 2024, was sent to all state police commands. It emphasized the need to curb human rights violations and unlawful actions that have tarnished the reputation of the Nigeria Police Force.

The police hierarchy expressed concerns that such impunity and misconduct could reignite public outrage, citing the events of the 2020 #EndSARS protests, which escalated into widespread destruction of properties and loss of lives.

The letter, signed by the Department of Operations at the Force Headquarters, was obtained by PidomNigeria.

Egbetokun warned that police commissioners and supervisors of commands where such activities occur would also be held accountable alongside the offending officers.

The message with DTO: 111996/ and Ref: CB:0900/DOPS/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.TIO/157 was titled: Order and Directives: Arbitrary Arrest and Detention.

It partly read: “Arbitrary arrest x detention x nigpol dcps abuja directs x henceforth x there should be no unnecessary arrest and detention of youths x collecting of phones x checking of phones x at checking points x these should stop x this attitude is portraying the nigeria police force in bad image x all these culminated to end-sars protest x destruction of properties x killing in the past x nigpol dops directs you desist from such unlawful acts x anyone caught will be discipline along with commands compols/supervisors as ingenpol will deploy monitoring units for enforcement of this directives x treat as very important.”