SERAP Urges Tinubu to End Phone Surveillance Policies!
By: Abudu Olalekan
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent a strong message to President Bola Tinubu. They’re saying, “Hey, Mr. President, tell that Minister of Communications, Bosun Tijani, to pull the plug on those Lawful Interception of Communications Regulations from 2019. They’re unconstitutional, unlawful, and just don’t jive with Nigeria’s international obligations.”
Still pushing forward, SERAP has its eyes on Tinubu. A clear and open lawmaking path is what they’re after. So that any system watching communications stays within bounds – shielded by the constitution, checked by judges, tied to Nigeria’s duty toward human rights.
Out of nowhere, everything exploded when ex-Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai spoke up. A sudden claim came from him about wiretaps on calls – this one aimed at top security boss Nuhu Ribadu. What followed? He insisted someone listened in when the NSA talked. That same network, he added, caught his own conversations. From those lines, voices emerged suggesting his arrest
Nowhere in the rules is there clear limit on how much data can be taken. SERAP blames the LICR 2019 for turning oversight into unchecked watchfulness. Because of weak wording, officials might stretch their reach without answerability. Privacy, along with free speech, ends up crushed under wide authority. Instead of balance, what exists feels more like control wearing a legal mask.
Come 2027, Nigeria heads toward another election season – SERAP is raising concerns. Surveillance tools might turn into weapons aimed at critics, reporters, anyone questioning power. When people think they’re watched, meetings shrink, questions fade. Quiet fear does the work before any order gets given.
Seven days – that is what SERAP has given Tinubu. Should those suggestions go ignored, court becomes the next step. Seriousness marks every move they make.
The group points to United Nations guidelines, claiming sweeping surveillance lacks clear legal grounding and fails tests of fairness, need, or balance. Storing private information alone counts as a breach of privacy, they argue – access or usage makes no difference.
Now SERAP is speaking up. It says the state must put real rules in place – ways that actually work to protect people, along with watchdogs who operate without pressure. These duties? They reach beyond officials. Firms like phone networks and online platforms carry weight here too.
Worries center on Regulation 4, giving wide wiretapping authority to the National Security Adviser along with the State Security Services. Then there’s Regulation 23 – suddenly letting more groups join the surveillance net, such as the Nigeria Police Force and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Because it’s so unclear who exactly can act, SERAP says people won’t know their rights, making misuse likely. What happens next depends on how loosely rules are interpreted.
What stands out is SERAP challenging Regulation 8 – warrantless spying sneaks in there during specific moments. Too wide open, they say. Then comes Regulation 6: snagged messages can sit in storage lockers for three full years. Not far behind, Regulation 12 opens emergency taps whenever urgency knocks.
Still, SERAP insists safeguards matter just as much when tackling threats like organized crime. Though the state has a duty to protect citizens, methods used cannot ignore basic freedoms protected by law. Even urgent goals need boundaries shaped by justice standards already in place. Pushing security forward should never mean breaking rules meant to shield people. What counts is balancing action with respect for rights everyone holds.
Strange how things unfold, really. National safety weighs heavy on everyone’s mind. Still, people demand fairness, expect their freedoms respected. Democracy here feels fragile lately. With elections coming up soon, tension grows. Everyone watches closely now – will Tinubu listen to SERAP? Only time reveals what happens next.
