The Nigeria Police Force has clarified that Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has not banned Nigerians from recording police officers, saying his concern is the misuse of such recordings, particularly for social media skits and entertainment.

The Force New Media Officer, Aliyu Giwa, made the clarification on Saturday while responding to the controversy generated by the IGP’s recent comments on citizens filming police officers while they are performing their duties.

Giwa said Disu’s position had been misunderstood, stressing that the police were not seeking to prevent accountability or deny Nigerians their rights.

According to him, the IGP’s concern centres on situations where police encounters are deliberately provoked, ridiculed or recorded primarily for entertainment.

“The IGP’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.

He urged Nigerians to distinguish between responsible documentation of police activities and the deliberate use of encounters with officers as social media content.Giwa noted that legitimate recordings could benefit both citizens and members of the police force.

He said recordings could provide evidence where an officer was accused of misconduct, while also helping to protect officers against false allegations and supporting investigations.“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.

However, the police spokesman maintained that being in uniform does not remove an officer’s right to dignity and privacy.“Wearing the uniform does not remove an officer’s right to dignity or privacy,” Giwa added.Police support body camerasGiwa also disclosed that the use of body cameras was part of ongoing discussions on modern and accountable policing.

His comment came after an X user criticised the IGP’s position and suggested that police officers should be equipped with body cameras if the Force was uncomfortable with citizens recording them.

Responding, Giwa said the IGP had not rejected the recording of police officers generally.He explained that the issue was about the misuse of recordings and not a blanket opposition to citizens documenting police activities.

“Body cameras are, in fact, part of the broader conversation about modern, accountable policing, and they can protect both citizens and officers,” Giwa said.He urged Nigerians to engage the police on the issue without resorting to insults, saying both sides ultimately wanted a more professional police force and a safer country.

Police, citizens must balance rights, privacyGiwa also rejected the description of the issue as a confrontation between the police and the public or between the IGP and the Nigerian Bar Association.

He said the debate should instead focus on balancing citizens’ rights with the professional responsibilities of police officers.According to him, transparency must be balanced with privacy, while accountability should go hand in hand with responsible use of technology.

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.Disu had expressed concern over Nigerians recording police officers, particularly when such videos were produced for social media skits, describing the practice as demoralising to members of the Force.

The IGP, however, acknowledged that citizens had the right to record police officers performing their duties in public.He urged citizens to exercise restraint and avoid turning police encounters into entertainment content.

Court judgment affirms right to record policeThe controversy also comes against the backdrop of a March 17 judgment of the Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State, which affirmed Nigerians’ right to record police officers while they are performing their duties in public.

The development had triggered reactions from lawyers, human rights advocates and other Nigerians, many of whom argued that citizens should be allowed to document police activities as part of efforts to promote transparency and accountability.

NBA President, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, had also called for a distinction between legitimate recording of police activities and intrusion into the private lives of police officers.

Giwa said the engagement between the IGP and the NBA demonstrated that institutions could disagree while still finding constructive ways to address contentious issues.He said the police should not fear legitimate scrutiny, while citizens should also use technology responsibly.

“In the digital age, the solution is not to fear the camera. Instead, we should use technology responsibly, uphold professionalism, and let truth, rather than social media narratives, define the conversation,” Giwa said.

He added that cameras should not be used to weaken institutions, just as institutions should not fear legitimate scrutiny.According to him, both the police and citizens should ultimately work towards protecting truth, justice and the interests of Nigerians.