The Nigeria Police Force has clarified that Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, did not ban Nigerians from recording police officers while carrying out their duties in public, but only raised concerns about the misuse of such recordings for entertainment and social media content.
The Force New Media Officer, Aliyu Giwa, made the clarification on Saturday through a series of posts on X following the controversy generated by the IGP’s recent comments on citizens filming police officers.
Giwa said the position of the police leadership had been misunderstood, explaining that the Force was not trying to prevent accountability or take away citizens’ rights.
He explained that the main concern was the deliberate misuse of recordings, especially situations where police officers were provoked, mocked, filmed for entertainment or subjected to unnecessary intrusion while performing their official duties.
According to him, there is a difference between responsibly documenting the activities of police officers and deliberately using encounters with officers to create social media content.
He noted that legitimate recordings could benefit both members of the public and the police. Citizens could use video evidence when reporting misconduct, while recordings could also help officers defend themselves against false accusations and assist investigations.
Giwa, however, said being a police officer does not remove an individual’s right to dignity and privacy.
His clarification followed criticism from an X user who argued that if the police were uncomfortable with citizens recording officers, the Force should provide body cameras for its personnel.
In response, Giwa maintained that the IGP had not rejected the recording of police officers generally. He said the concern was specifically about irresponsible use of recordings and not legitimate documentation of police activities or efforts to ensure accountability.
He also disclosed that the use of body cameras is part of discussions on improving modern policing and promoting accountability. According to him, the technology could provide protection for both police officers and citizens.
Giwa called for a balanced conversation on the issue, urging Nigerians to exercise their rights responsibly while also allowing police officers to perform their duties professionally.
He said the matter should not be presented as a battle between the police and members of the public or as a disagreement between the IGP and the Nigerian Bar Association.
Instead, he said the focus should be on finding a balance between police accountability and responsibility, transparency and privacy, as well as citizens’ rights and the proper performance of police duties.
The clarification followed a recent courtesy visit by the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association to Disu at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, where the issue of recording police officers was discussed.
During the meeting, Disu had raised concerns about the practice of filming police officers, particularly when such videos are used to create social media skits. He described the practice as demoralising to members of the Force but also acknowledged that Nigerians have the right to record police officers while they are performing their duties in public.
His comments generated reactions from lawyers, human rights groups and other Nigerians, with some arguing that citizens should be free to document police activities in public places.
The NBA President, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, had also called for a distinction between lawful recording of police activities and interference with the private lives of police officers.
The controversy came after a March 17 judgment of the Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State, which affirmed the right of Nigerians to record police officers while they are carrying out their duties in public.
Giwa said the engagement between the police leadership and the NBA showed that institutions could hold different views while still working together to resolve disagreements.
He added that the growing use of cameras and social media should not be treated as a threat by either the police or the public. Rather, he said technology should be used responsibly, with professionalism and truth guiding the way police activities are documented and discussed.
The police spokesman maintained that legitimate public scrutiny should not weaken the institution, just as police institutions should not be afraid of lawful monitoring by citizens.