Police investigators as well as prosecutors in the Enugu State Ministry of Justice have criticized Globacom, the owners of Glo mobile phones, for their slow pace of cooperation with law enforcement officers investigating kidnapping and other crimes.
Police investigators as well as prosecutors in the Enugu State Ministry of Justice have criticized Globacom, the owners of Glo mobile phones, for their slow pace of cooperation with law enforcement officers investigating kidnapping and other crimes.
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In interviews with SaharaReporters, a top officer with the Enugu State Police Command as well as two officials of the Ministry of Justice, accused Globacom of frustrating critical crime investigations by failing to provide information on suspects’ use of mobile phones – or refusing to provide such information in a timely manner.
In November 2011, Enugu State passed a law to compel wireless telecommunication carriers operating in the state to provide information to law enforcement agencies in the state. Under the law, carriers must respond to legitimate requests for information made by entities empowered to obtain call information in the course of investigating a crime. The law requires that wireless telephone carriers respond within 24 hours upon receiving a request made by designated law enforcement officials for information regarding calls made by any subscriber who is a target of a criminal investigation.
The law specifically requires that carriers cooperate with the state attorney general, the state director of public prosecution (DPP), the state commissioner of police as well as the director of the State Security Service (SSS).
A police source praised both former attorney general Nduka Ikenyi and his successor Tony Ani for working tirelessly to get the law passed. “Those two eminent barristers as well as Barrister Victor Emeribe, the DPP, worked hard to ensure that the law was passed last year,” said the source. He added, “These three men have been at the forefront of crime prevention. They deserve to be commended for their past and present efforts to address crime issues in the state without fear or favor.”
However, the source regretted that Globacom has continued to disregard the law, often frustrating critical investigations related to kidnappings. “It is unfortunate that, of all the carriers in the state, the Glo people have been very reluctant to comply with the law. Their lack of cooperation has made it possible for some criminals, especially kidnappers, to be let off the hook.”
Another source, a prosecutor with the Enugu State Ministry of Justice, echoed the same concern. She told SaharaReporters: “The Enugu State Assembly and Governor [Sullivan] Chime enacted this visionary law in order to assist the police and other investigators to gain an upper hand against kidnappers and other criminals. It is a major tool in the war against kidnappers, and police can tell you that they have used it to track down many participants in kidnappings.” She called on the National Assembly and other states to emulate Enugu State by passing similar laws to ensure that criminals who employ mobile phones to commit crimes “are speedily fished out.” The source then decried the negative attitude of Globacom. “Why should they not want to be part of the effort to identify, arrest and prosecute kidnappers and other criminals?”
Another prosecutor involved in trying several kidnapping cases in Enugu State suggested it was high time state officials came down hard on Globacom to force the carrier to start obeying the laws of the state. The law provides for a fine of N500,000 each time a wireless phone carrier failed to provide information requested by law enforcement. In the event of continued contravention, the law stipulates additional daily fines of N250,000 on the offending carrier.
“If Globacom does not want to obey a law that is designed to secure law and order in the state, then the state should make the company pay for their contravention,” said a state prosecutor.
A member of the Enugu State Assembly, who said one of his relatives was once kidnapped, said he was shocked to hear that Globacom was not cooperating. “Any responsible corporate citizen should be on the side of this law,” he said, adding that state officials should crack down on companies whose “uncooperative behavior has led to the loss of lives of kidnap victims. Any refusal to supply information to investigators is a way of helping kidnappers to thrive in their evil acts.” The lawmaker praised “Barrister Tony Ani for finally standing up to say a capital NO to the shortcoming of service providers.”
Another source in the Enugu Ministry of Justice commended “Commander Steve 24,” head of the state’s anti-kidnap squad. “Commander Steve is an able and committed investigator, but the work of this man and his men are sometimes foiled by service providers’ delay in providing information.” The source said Commander Steve and his supportive team “have been able to achieve an impressive rate of success in their investigations. Imagine how much more they can achieve once every mobile phone carrier starts cooperating by providing information on calls made by suspects.”
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