Inspector General of Police Filming Warning Triggers Outrage, Details Emerge
- Human rights groups and the African Action Congress backed the Nigerian Bar Association's position on citizens' right to film police officers on duty
- The controversy follows a Federal High Court ruling in March 2026 that affirmed Nigerians' constitutional right to record police in public spaces
- The inspector-general of police raised concerns about how recordings were being used, even as he acknowledged citizens' legal right to film officers on duty
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FCT, Abuja - Human rights organisations and the African Action Congress (AAC) have backed the Nigerian Bar Association's defence of citizens' right to film police officers carrying out official duties in public, pushing back against concerns raised by Tunji Disu, the inspector-general of police (IGP).
The debate intensified after NBA President Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya publicly supported the right to record on-duty officers while calling for clearer boundaries to protect officers from intrusions into their private lives. Disu had earlier described the growing trend of filming police as demoralising to officers.
Source: Twitter
The controversy follows a March 17 judgment by Justice Hyeladzira Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court in Warri, Delta state, which upheld Nigerians' constitutional right to record police officers during public operations.
The judgment, arising from a suit filed by lawyer Maxwell Uwaifo, also directed officers to display their names and force numbers while on duty.
Police critics reject IGP’s filming warning
Speaking on Thursday, September 10, Amnesty International's country director Isa Sanusi said no justification existed for restricting transparency in policing.
The Punch quoted Sanusi as saying:
"It is the duty of the police to tell their men to be decent, to be fair, to be open, to be transparent. So if they are transparent and decent, I don't think they should mind whether people are monitoring them or not."
For Gerald Katchy, the general secretary of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, she said video documentation was a standard accountability tool in democracies worldwide.
"Those who have nothing to hide have no reason to be afraid of being recorded," he said, adding that footage had proven useful both in cases of alleged misconduct and in defending officers from false claims. Katchy also said the police should promote the use of body-worn cameras rather than resist external scrutiny.
He dismissed the IGP's demoralisation argument, saying:
"It's uncalled-for, maybe, IGP saying that it's demoralising. The ones it will demoralise are those who have ulterior motives."
The African Action Congress cited Section 39(1) of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression and the right to receive and share information, arguing that officers on duty in public spaces cannot invoke privacy rights to block citizens from filming them.
The party noted specific risks facing Nigerians:
"From 'one-chance' robberies to illegal checkpoints to impersonators in police uniform, Nigerians need to record who stops them, where, and what happens."
Expert speaks on context in IGP’s filming remarks
Public affairs analyst Rufus Egbagba urged a more nuanced reading of the IGP's remarks, arguing that Disu had not called for misconduct to go unrecorded, but was asking for responsible engagement. He cautioned against short clips being used to define entire incidents:
"A short video clip may not always capture the full context of an incident: what led up to it, what was said off-camera, or what followed."
Source: Twitter
Disu, speaking at an interactive session with crime correspondents in Abuja, acknowledged citizens' legal right to film officers but asked that recordings not be used to harass personnel or undermine active operations.
The NBA president echoed the need for clearer rules, distinguishing between filming officers on duty and recording them during private moments such as eating or resting.
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Police trust falls amid corruption concerns
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that a new study found that corruption and misconduct among police officers are significantly reducing public confidence in the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and affecting citizens’ willingness to share intelligence with the force.
The research, conducted by James Ojo Adakole and published in IRE Journals, surveyed 256 Nigerians to assess public trust and perception of the police and how these attitudes shape intelligence sharing in the country’s fight against insecurity.
Source: Legit.ng
