The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has cautioned Nigerians against the growing trend of recording police officers on duty, describing the practice as demoralising and a potential distraction from critical security operations. Disu argued that constant recording distracts officers from dangerous tasks like patrolling highways and forests, potentially undermining their morale amid life-threatening conditions. “We are doing very difficult jobs and we need all the concentration in the world to be able to do our jobs,” he said, adding that the practice of turning police officers into “content for their skit or anything” is unacceptable.
However, a March 2026 court ruling affirmed citizens’ right to film police in public spaces for accountability, as long as it doesn’t obstruct duties. Justice Hyeladzira Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court in Warri held that Nigerians have the constitutional right to record police officers performing their duties in public. The judge also ruled that it is unlawful for police to harass, intimidate, arrest, or seize devices from citizens recording their actions. The ruling arose from a fundamental rights suit filed by a lawyer, Maxwell Uwaifo, following an encounter with police officers along the Sapele Roundabout.
The debate has split public views, with some stressing the need for oversight of taxpayer-funded roles. Others, like NBA President Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, advocate for transparency through measures like body cameras. In a recent meeting with Disu, Badejo-Okusanya stated that “we should not be afraid of being transparent while carrying out our duties,” citing the use of body cameras by police in the United States as a model for promoting accountability and self-regulation. She emphasised that recording provides a check on officer conduct and helps catch “the few bad eggs”.
The winners: the Nigerian public, whose right to record police conduct has been affirmed; and advocates of transparency, who have gained a powerful argument for reforms like body cameras. The losers: police officers who feel demoralised by constant recording; and the Nigeria Police Force, which faces increased scrutiny of its operations.
Bottom Line: The courts say citizens can record police. The IGP says it is demoralising. The NBA president says transparency is the answer. The question is whether Nigeria will adopt body cameras or continue the debate without resolution.