Nigeria backs citizens’ right to film police while on duty
President of the Nigerian Bar Association Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya in Abuja supported citizens’ right to video-record police officers while they are performing their official duties in public places. At the same time, she called for clearer limits on this right in order to protect law enforcement officers’ privacy. Premium Times Nigeria reports.
Badejo-Okusanya spoke during a meeting with Inspector General of Police Olatunji Disu and members of the association’s executive committee at police headquarters in Abuja. The meeting focused on cooperation between lawyers and the police amid periodic disputes between representatives of these professions.
Court ruling in Warri
The discussion took place following a ruling by the Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State, issued on March 17. The court recognized Nigerians’ constitutional right to record police officers’ actions on video when they perform official duties in public places.
Judge Hyeladzira Nganjiwa heard a lawsuit filed by lawyer Maxwell Nosahare Uwaifo. He went to court after an encounter with police officers during a stop-and-search operation in May 2025. The court also ruled that police officers must display their names and service numbers during public operations.
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As early as December 2023, the Nigeria Police Force stated that filming or photographing law enforcement officers while they are performing their duties is not an offense.
Positions of police and lawyers
Olatunji Disu acknowledged citizens’ right to film police officers in public places while they are working, but said the court ruling had caused concern among personnel. According to him, some people have begun recording law enforcement officers not only during operations, but also in restaurants and other places where they are not conducting police activities. The inspector general called for police officers not to be turned into material for social media videos.
Badejo-Okusanya agreed that filming police officers while they are resting or eating may be an intrusion into their private lives. However, she stressed that transparency should not be restricted when law enforcement officers are lawfully performing their duties. In her view, recordings can help establish the circumstances of incidents and serve as evidence if an officer is accused of misconduct.
The association’s president proposed clarifying or strengthening existing rules to define permissible cases of filming and prevent abuse. The meeting also discussed a communication mechanism between the police and the bar association, reducing delays in criminal proceedings, and a proposal to ensure the presence of a police lawyer at every station to provide legal support to children who come into contact with the juvenile justice system.
