Nigerians have a right to record police officers while they are performing their duties in public, court rules.

A Federal High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State, ruled in March 2026 that citizens have a constitutional right to record police officers carrying out official duties in public spaces. The court also held that officers should not harass, intimidate, arrest or seize the devices of citizens simply because they are recording them.

The judgment, delivered by Justice Hyeladzira Nganjiwa in Maxwell Nosakhare Uwaifo v. Inspector-General of Police & Others, also directed that police officers performing public duties should display visible identification, including their names and force numbers.

However, the right to record does not mean citizens can obstruct police operations, interfere with an arrest or place themselves or others in danger.

The issue resurfaced in September 2026 after Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu expressed concerns about the way police encounters are recorded and used on social media. The Nigeria Police Force later clarified that the IGP was not seeking to deny citizens their right to record officers, but was cautioning against misuse of such footage.