Posted by By Tessy Okoye on
The Action Congress (AC) has raised alarm over what it called the unbridled invasion of privacy of members of the opposition by the nation's security agencies with the active connivance of telecommunication service providers and operators.
The Action Congress (AC) has raised alarm over what it called the unbridled invasion of privacy of members of the opposition by the nation's security agencies with the active connivance of telecommunication service providers and operators.
A statement by the party's Media and Publicity Committee Chairman, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in Abuja yesterday described the act as a reckless invasion of the privacy of citizens.
The AC said that while security agencies have the duty to protect national security, invasion of privacy of law abiding citizens through unauthorized wire tapping of their conversation is unacceptable in any civilised society.
The party said that experiences of some citizens who had been interrogated by the State
Security Service (SSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) strongly suggest that all their telephone conversations and text messages were in the possession of security organizations.
It condemned the perpetration of such act and urged the National Assembly to review the laws guiding the operations of all telephone network operators in the country. It also stressed the need for the federal legislators to objectively look into the problem in the interest of freedom and liberty of citizens.
'There is need to protect the rights of all citizens in the land," the party declared, cautioning that 'those who feel protected today because they belong to the ruling party should remember when they would be in the opposition as no condition is permanent."
The AC also tasked Nigerians on the need to protect their fundamental human rights as guaranteed by the constitution.
'A situation where a husband would no longer feel safe to engage his wife or friends in telephone conversations should not be allowed in Nigeria," it added.