The Nigeria Police Force has said Nigerians are free to record police officers carrying out their duties in public, clarifying that the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, only objected to the misuse of such recordings.
The Force New Media Officer, Aliyu Giwa, made this known on Saturday while responding to reactions that followed the IGP’s recent comments on citizens filming police officers.
Giwa said Disu’s comments were aimed at discouraging situations where police encounters are deliberately provoked or turned into entertainment for social media.
“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 said in his first post.
He urged Nigerians to differentiate between recording an officer for legitimate purposes and deliberately creating situations that can be exploited for online content.
“It is important to distinguish between responsible documentation and the deliberate exploitation of Police encounters for social media content,” he said.
According to Giwa, video recordings can also be useful to the police, especially when they provide evidence of misconduct or help clear officers of false accusations.
“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,” he said.
He, however, said police officers should not lose their right to dignity simply because they are in uniform.
“However, wearing the uniform does not remove an officer’s right to dignity or privacy,” Giwa said.
The Force spokesman made the clarification after an X user challenged the IGP’s position and suggested that police officers should be provided with body cameras if citizens’ recordings were considered a problem.
Giwa explained that the IGP was not proposing a general restriction on filming police officers.
“While you are allowed to interpret it as you see fit, the message from the IGP was concerning the misuse of recordings, not a general rejection of legitimate documentation or accountability,” Giwa said in his reply.
He also disclosed that body-worn cameras were being considered as part of efforts to improve transparency and accountability within the police.
“Body cameras are, in fact, part of the broader conversation about modern, accountable policing, and they can protect both citizens and officers,” he said.
Giwa called for a calmer discussion of the issue, saying Nigerians could demand accountability without attacking police officers or the Force.
“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 said in the reply.
He further rejected attempts to portray the matter as a dispute between the police and the public or between the IGP and the NBA.
“Therefore, the conversation should not be framed as Police versus the public or the IGP versus the NBA,” he said.
“Instead, it should focus on balancing accountability with responsibility, transparency with privacy, and citizens’ rights with the professional discharge of Police duties,” he added.
The clarification followed a recent meeting between Disu and leaders of the Nigerian Bar Association at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, where the recording of police officers was among the issues discussed.
Disu had earlier criticised the use of police encounters as material for social media skits, describing the practice as “very, very demoralising” to officers.
However, he had also acknowledged that Nigerians could record officers while they were performing their duties in public.
“We are not saying they cannot exercise their rights of recording officers in the public places while doing their jobs,” Disu said.
“But they should put restraints and not turn our police officers to content for their skits or anything,” he added.
The remarks triggered reactions from lawyers, human rights advocates and members of the public, with some insisting that Nigerians have the right to document police activities carried out in public.
NBA President, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, had similarly called for a distinction between legitimate monitoring of police activities and interference with officers’ personal privacy.
The debate also followed a March 17 judgment by the Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State, which affirmed the right of Nigerians to record police officers while they are performing their duties in public.
According to Giwa, the engagement between the police and the NBA showed that disagreements between institutions could be resolved through dialogue.
“The engagement between the IGP and NBA leadership demonstrates that strong institutions can engage constructively, clarify positions, and collaborate despite differing perspectives,” he said.
He added that the focus should be on responsible use of technology rather than preventing people from using cameras.
“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,” Giwa said.
“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,” he added.