THE Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has clarified that Inspector General of Police (IGP), Tunji Disu, is not opposed to citizens recording Police officers while on duties in public, saying the Force was not seeking to prevent legitimate scrutiny or deny citizens their rights.
Disu had, during a recent courtesy visit by the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) leadership at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, expressed concern about Nigerians recording Police officers, particularly for social media skits, describing the practice as “very, very demoralising” for members of the Force.
The IGP, however, acknowledged that citizens had the right to record officers performing their duties in public, adding: “We are not saying they cannot exercise their rights of recording officers in the public places while doing their jobs.
His position had attracted criticism from lawyers, human rights groups and other Nigerians, who insisted that citizens had a constitutional right to document Police officers while performing their duties in public.
Indeed, NBA President, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, who led the NBA delegation, argued that a distinction should be made between legitimate recording of Police activities and intrusion into officers’ private lives.
Recall that a Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State, in its judgment on March 1, affirmed Nigerians’ right to record Police officers while performing their duties in public.
Following criticisms of the IGP’s remarks, the Force’s New Media Officer, Aliyu Giwa, in a series of posts on X on Saturday, September 12, said Disu’s concern was with the misuse of such recordings, particularly when Police encounters are turned into social media content, adding that the Police were not seeking to prevent legitimate scrutiny or deny citizens their rights.
He stated: “The IGP’s concern is not to shield Police officers from accountability or deny citizens their rights. Instead, it focuses on the misuse of recordings, especially when officers are provoked, ridiculed, filmed for entertainment, or subjected to unnecessary intrusion while performing their duties.”
Giwa urged Nigerians to distinguish between documenting Police activities responsibly and deliberately exploiting encounters with officers for social media content, noting that legitimate recordings could serve as evidence against misconduct, while also protecting Police officers from false allegations.
He added: “As a public institution, the Police must remain open to legitimate scrutiny. Evidence is essential when an officer acts improperly.
“Similarly, responsible recording can protect officers from false allegations and support investigations.”
Giwa stressed that being a Police officer did not strip an individual of basic rights to dignity and privacy, maintaining that Disu had not rejected the practice of recording police officers altogether and that body cameras were being considered as part of efforts to promote accountable policing and they can protect both citizens and officers.
He called for a more constructive debate on the issue, saying accountability and citizens’ rights could coexist with professional policing, adding: “The Police need to be accountable and citizens should exercise their rights in a responsible way, we can have that discussion without using insults.
“The end aim is the same, a more professional Police Force and a safer Nigeria.”
He dismissed attempts to portray the controversy as a confrontation between the Police and the public, or between Disu and the NBA, but should instead focus on balancing accountability with responsibility, transparency with privacy and citizens’ rights with the professional discharge of Police duties.
He said the way forward was not for the Police or members of the public to fear the use of cameras, but to ensure that technology was deployed responsibly, noting: “In the digital age, the solution is not to fear the camera.
“Instead, we should use technology responsibly, uphold professionalism, and let truth, rather than social media narratives, define the conversation. The camera should not weaken the institution.
“Also, institutions should not fear legitimate scrutiny. Both must ultimately serve the truth, justice, and the Nigerian people.”
