By Ayo Kehinde
Acting IGP, Kayode Egbetokun
The Security Situation Room, Nigeria ‘s Premium Online Security Tracking Platform has described as illegal, the existing orders by the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of the State Security Services, SSS, and the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, directing Nigerians to leave phones at the gate.
Convener of the Security Situation Room, Douglas Ogbakwa, a lawyer, on Wednesday, said the order is illegal because it invades the privacy of Nigerians on invitation or visitation to the respective organizations.
He said, “The Security Situation Room is inundated with complaints of illegal confiscation of phones at the Gates of the SSS, EFCC and Police. Of the three, the Police is the most liberal, as some of their facilities do not practice this act. The act is however a violation of the fundamental human rights of citizens and an affront on the rule of law
“This unlawful anomaly violates the rights of citizens to private property and freedom of expression and liberty .It does not happen any where else in the world and it is an attempt to cover up illegalities.
“The case with the SSS is even worse because you cannot call any official of the SSS and you cannot access a suspect. So if you are detained by the SSS , you will remain with them as long as they want , except when you have a person that can access any official of the organization. This is a very sorry state of affairs as stories are rife of many illegal detentions running into months without Court orders .
“To make matters worse, the SSS has refused to open its cells to magistrates as provided for by the ACJA , which appears to be an informal amendment of ACJA.The fulcrum of democracy is freedom and if there is no freedom the aims of democracy and the objectives of an egalitarian society is defeated.”
Ogbakwa called on the Attorney General of the Federation to read the riot act on the Police, the SSS and the EFCC, as ” this illegal directive on phone is an impunity,” that violates the rights of Nigerians.
