The new Commissioner of Police in Kwara State, Adekimi Ojo, has cautioned officers under his command against extortion, harassment, unlawful phone searches, and profiling of young people as internet fraudsters.
Speaking on Friday in Ilorin during a meeting with Deputy Commissioners, Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers, and Tactical Commanders, Ojo said the directive was in line with instructions from the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
He warned that any officer found violating human rights or engaging in misconduct would face severe disciplinary measures.
“Officers who interfere in civil cases without criminal elements, unlawfully search citizens’ phones, or maliciously label youths as Yahoo boys are committing grave offences,” Ojo said.
The commissioner stressed that road-side phone checks are banned except in cases where a phone has been confirmed as an exhibit in an ongoing investigation. He reassured members of the public, particularly students and young people, that the command would uphold their dignity and fundamental rights.
“The era of intimidation and wrongful profiling is over in Kwara State,” he declared, urging youths to remain law-abiding.
Meanwhile, the police command announced that enforcement of tinted glass permits will begin on October 2, 2025. Motorists without valid permits, or those using fake or expired ones, will be charged to court within 24 hours.
Police spokesperson SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, in a statement, advised drivers to carry their original permits and urged citizens to report cases of extortion linked to the enforcement exercise through official complaint channels.
Similar directives have been issued in other states. Earlier in January, the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Betty Enekpen-Otimeyin, warned officers against extortion and random phone searches, stressing that such actions are only permitted when necessary during investigations.