Does The Police Have Any Constitutional Right To Go Through A Citizen`s Phone?

Hello guys, this issue is what we must have heard of and some even experienced first hand. I`m talking about the issue of Nigerian police going through one`s phone and laptop.

Its a norm especially in Lagos that once a police man sees you and remembers that he is broke, he`ll call you and the first thing is to seize your phone and then start going through it to know if you`re a "yahoo" boy or girl.


Sometimes you`ll even have to bail your self and your phone if he doesn`t understand or know a particular application in the phone (There was a story on FP one time about how a boy`s phone was seized cos he had an app he uses in doing his online business).

Apple has released the iPhone 7 and also Samsung has released theirs too. these phones are quite expensive and with the current economy it`ll take a whole lot of sacrifice to buy one of them. When they get into the country, and people start buying them, will the police now term any young guy who buys it and term him a "yahoo" person?

Tecno is also about to release the Phantom 6 and Phantom 6+ which should be much more affordable. Now if I buy either the iPhone 7, or the samsung or any of the Tecno phantom series, and the police one day stops me and want to search my phone, do I have the right to tell them NO??

Now this brings me to the question; DOES THE NIGERIAN POLICE HAVE ANY CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO GO THROUGH ANY CITIZEN`S PHONE OR LAPTOP WITHOUT A WARRANT? especially when there isn`t an on-going investigation.