IG Didn’t Ban Recording Policemen, Only Opposes Misuse for Skits, Police Clarify

Linus Aleke in Abuja The Nigeria Police Force has clarified that the Inspector-General of Police (IG), Olatunji Disu, does not oppose citizens recording police officers, saying his concern is the misuse of such recordings. The New Media Officer of the Force, Aliyu Giwa, clarified this in a series of posts on X yesterday, following controversy over the IG’s recent comments on Nigerians filming police officers. Giwa said Disu’s position was misinterpreted, stressing that the Police were not trying to shield officers from accountability or deny citizens their rights. “The IG’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 said there was a distinction between responsible documentation and deliberately exploiting encounters with police officers for social media content. Giwa added that legitimate recordings could serve both citizens and police officers. “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 maintained, however, that police officers were entitled to dignity and privacy. “However, wearing the uniform does not remove an officer’s right to dignity or privacy,” Giwa said. The clarification came after an X user criticised the IG’s position and argued that Police should equip officers with body cameras if they opposed citizens recording them. Responding to the user, Giwa said the IG had not rejected the practice of recording police officers generally. “While you are allowed to interpret it as you see fit, the message from the IG was concerning the misuse of recordings, not a general rejection of legitimate documentation or accountability,” Giwa said in his reply. He also confirmed that body cameras were being considered as part of discussions around accountable policing. Giwa urged Nigerians to discuss the issue without resorting to insults, saying both the Police and citizens ultimately had the same objective. “The Police need to be accountable, and citizens should responsibly exercise their rights; 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. In his initial post, Giwa also rejected framing the issue as a confrontation between the Police and citizens, or between Disu and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). “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 courtesy visit by the NBA leadership to Disu at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, where they discussed the issue of recording police officers. Disu had expressed concern over Nigerians recording police officers, particularly for social media skits, describing the practice as “very, very demoralising” for members of the Force. The IG, however, acknowledged that citizens had the right to record officers performing their duties in public. “We are not saying they cannot exercise their rights of recording officers in public places while doing their jobs,” Disu said. “But they should put restraints on it and not turn our police officers into content for their skits or anything,” he added. The comments sparked criticism from lawyers, human rights groups, and other Nigerians, with some insisting that citizens have a constitutional right to document police officers. At the same time, they perform their duties in public. The NBA President, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, had also said there should be a distinction between legitimate recording of police activities and intrusion into officers’ private lives. The controversy followed a March 17 judgment of the Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State, which affirmed Nigerians’ right to record police officers while they perform their duties in public. Giwa said the engagement between the IG and the NBA leadership demonstrated that institutions could disagree while still engaging constructively.