Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tunji Disu has urged Nigerians to exercise restraint when recording police officers carrying out their duties.
Disu made the call on Tuesday when the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, led members of the association’s executive committee on a visit to the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
The IGP said a recent court judgment affirming Nigerians’ right to record police officers conducting stop-and-search operations in public spaces had “jostled” police personnel.
According to Disu, the ruling had been followed by an increase in the recording of police officers in different settings, including restaurants.
He said the development could demoralise officers who put their lives at risk while protecting members of the public in dangerous situations.
“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.
“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 could record police officers conducting stop-and-search operations in public spaces.
Justice Hyeladzira Nganjiwa delivered the judgment following a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by lawyer Maxwell Nosakhare Uwaifo.
The judge held that Nigerians have a constitutional right to record police officers while they are carrying out their duties.