The Nigeria Police Force has clarified that Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, has not banned Nigerians from recording police officers while they perform their duties in public.
The clarification followed recent comments by the police chief that sparked discussions over citizens’ right to film officers during official operations.
The Force New Media Officer, Aliyu Giwa, explained that the IGP’s concern was not about preventing legitimate documentation or shielding police officers from accountability, but about the misuse of recordings, particularly when police encounters are turned into entertainment or social-media content.
According to Giwa, there is a distinction between responsibly documenting police activities and deliberately provoking, ridiculing or exploiting encounters with officers for online content.
He stressed that responsible recording could serve both citizens and police officers by providing evidence where allegations of misconduct arise and helping to protect officers against false accusations.
“Wearing the uniform does not remove an officer’s right to dignity or privacy,” Giwa said, while maintaining that the police must remain open to legitimate scrutiny.
The clarification followed remarks by IGP Disu during a meeting with the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association in Abuja.
The IGP had expressed concern over what he described as the growing practice of Nigerians recording police officers in different locations, including situations outside their official duties. He said such indiscriminate recording could be demoralising to officers.
However, Disu also acknowledged that citizens have the right to record police officers while they are performing their duties in public, urging Nigerians to exercise the right responsibly and not use officers as material for skits or entertainment.
The controversy also comes against the backdrop of a March 17, 2026 judgment by the Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State, which affirmed the constitutional right of Nigerians to record police officers while performing their duties in public. The court also addressed requirements concerning officers displaying their names and force numbers during public operations.
The police clarification therefore indicates that the IGP’s recent comments should not be interpreted as a blanket prohibition on citizens filming police officers.
Rather, the Force says the emphasis is on balancing citizens’ right to document public police activities with respect for officers’ dignity, privacy and the proper discharge of their duties.
