The owner of Pavilion Hotel and Suites in Aiyepe, Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State has claimed that he didn’t know that it was an offence to plant cameras in hotel rooms, the police said.

The Ogun state police spokesperson, Abimbola Oyeyemi, made this known to Peoples Gazette when contacted on Friday.

Earlier in February, the hotel management faced backlashes after a video on social media saw guests ranting and accusing them of infringing on people’s privacy by planting cameras in rooms.

The hotelier who is a resident of Lagos did not immediately honour the police invitation for interrogations, as earlier claimed by Mr. Oyeyemi.

However, the police spokesperson, in a phone call with the Gazette confirmed that the hotelier showed up and also cited insecurity as the basis for installing cameras in the rooms.

According to Mr. Oyeyemi, the hotelier claimed to have seen criminals around, hence the need for installation of cameras in the hotel.

“We invited him and he came and we interrogated him and he told us the reason he did so. There is a very thick bush at the back of the hotel and he said some people wanted to be using the place for criminal purposes,” Mr. Oyeyemi offered.

“He said there was a time he saw some criminals around that place and that is why he placed CCTV cameras there because he does not want the hotel to be used as a kidnap den.

The spokesperson noted that the hotelier was condemned for installing cameras in rooms, adding that he has been instructed to have them removed.

“He said since that thing broke out, he has removed all the cameras there that he did not know it’s an offence and we asked him to come back, I think he’s still coming back next week.”

Mr. Oyeyemi further revealed that the police have gone to inspect the hotel and will return there soon for confirmation.

Meanwhile, when contacted on the matter, the spokesperson for the National Hotel Association (NHA), Jijiwin Akpovwovwo, said the issue is still under investigation and they are expected to get response from the state chapter of the association adding that “they are expected to give official reports.”