By Michael Ofulue, Osogbo

The Osun State Police Command has reaffirmed that no officer has the right to search citizens’ mobile phones without a valid reason, stressing that such actions contravene the Police Act and regulations.

Speaking in a telephone interview with our correspondent in Osogbo, the newly appointed Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Superintendent of Police (SP) Adeoye Akeem, warned that any officer caught engaging in such illegal practices would face disciplinary action.

According to him, routine stop-and-search operations do not grant officers the authority to demand access to citizens’ phones unless the individual is under investigation for a specific offence.

“The police command has strongly condemned indiscriminate phone searches, especially when the person involved is not under any form of investigation. Our officers have been duly informed that such actions are illegal,” Akeem stated.

He urged members of the public to report any officer found violating this directive, assuring that the police hierarchy takes such complaints seriously.

On inter-agency collaboration, the PPRO said, “Security is a collective responsibility, and we are committed to working in synergy with other agencies to ensure a crime-free society.”

He further called on citizens to provide timely and useful information to the police, noting that effective crime prevention and detection require cooperation between the public and security agencies.