Nigerians Have Right to Record Police on Duty – Court Rules

By Monday Peters, Abuja

A Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State, has ruled that Nigerians have the constitutional right to record police officers while performing their duties in public. The judgement, delivered by Justice H. A. Nganjiwa, is seen as a significant boost for accountability and civil liberties.

The court held that police officers must wear visible name tags, display their force numbers, and refrain from harassing, intimidating, arresting, or confiscating devices from citizens recording their activities. The ruling was in response to a public interest litigation filed by Maxwell Uwaifo, a lawyer, who was stopped and questioned by police officers without proper identification.

The court awarded Uwaifo N5 million in damages for the violation of his fundamental rights and N2 million as cost of litigation. The respondents in the case included the Nigeria Police Force, the Police Service Commission, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Attorney-General of the Federation.

The judgement has significant implications for policing standards, civil liberties, and public accountability across Nigeria. Uwaifo described the ruling as far-reaching, saying it will promote police accountability and citizens’ constitutional rights.