Police Doesn’t Need A Search Warrant – PRO Edafe Bright
The Delta State Police Command’s spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe, has declared that police officers are authorized to search individuals’ pockets and bags without needing a warrant.
This statement was made through his X account on Saturday, August 23, while presenting a suspected thief apprehended with a firearm.
“Do the police have the right to search you randomly without a search warrant? The answer is yes; search you and not your houses or your phones. But to search you, your bag, pockets, is allowed.
This chap was standing at a club around 5am looking suspicious, when operatives of RRS intercepted and searched him, and this gun was recovered. Listen to his reason for taking the gun to the club,” he wrote.
In a video shared by Edafe, he described how Rapid Response Squad operatives, during a visibility patrol near DBS Road by Don and Master, encountered a young man carrying a bag in a suspicious manner.
“While operatives of the Rapid Response Squad of the Delta State Police Command were on their visibility patrol around DBS road, just by Don and Master, they saw this young man carrying a bag, he was sighted in a suspicious manner, he was intercepted and searched. When his bag was searched, this gun was found in his bag, this is the magazine and these are the ammunitions that were recovered from him,” he said.
Further investigation, according to Edafe, revealed that the suspect, 39-year-old Bassey Udoh from Akwa Ibom, was also involved in stealing generators.
“Bassey Udoh did not only have this in his possession. In the course of our investigation, we discovered that he usually scale through the fence of people’s houses while they’re sleeping and steals their generator. At times use the gate to come out and or also take it out through the fence. The time of their operation are usually between the hours of 4am and 5am,” Edafe added.
The suspect, who confirmed residing in Delta State for three years, admitted to breaking into approximately nine homes to steal generators since beginning this “business” two months prior.
“I’ve not entered more than nine people’s houses. Some people buy the generator for N40,000 or N35,000,” Udoh said.
When questioned about the firearm, he insisted it was not for robbery but for showing off at a club.
“I was holding it, I did not use it to rob. It was for flexing at a club. I put it in my waist,” he said.
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli
