Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tunji Disu has advised Nigerians to use caution when using their right to film police officers while they are on official duty.
On Tuesday, Disu was visited at the force headquarters in Abuja by Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), along with members of the association’s executive committee.
The court ruling allowing Nigerians to record police officers performing stop-and-search operations in public areas, according to the IGP, “jostled” police officers.
According to Disu, Nigerians began filming police officers everywhere—including in restaurants—after the ruling.
The IGP said the trend is demoralising to police officers who are risking their lives to protect citizens in dangerous places.
“Can we come to your offices and record you? Can we record even in the court? People coming to our offices with concealed cameras,” Disu said.
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“The recent judgement on the recording of police officers – that one really jolted our officers. It became something of concern to us because the citizens started coming out with their phones to record police officers everywhere.
“This can be demoralising. Some even went to a restaurant to start recording police officers while eating.
“Everywhere you see a policeman, you start recording. We are doing very difficult jobs, and we need all the concentration in the world to be able to do our jobs.
“We are not saying they cannot exercise their rights in recording officers in public places while doing their jobs, but they should put restraint and not turn our police officers to content for their skits or anything.”
In March, a federal high court in Delta State ruled that Nigerians can record police officers conducting stop-and-search operations in public spaces.
Hyeladzira Nganjiwa, the presiding judge, made the ruling following a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Maxwell Nosakhare Uwaifo, a lawyer.
Nganjiwa held that Nigerians have a constitutional right to record police officers performing their duties.
