Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu has raised concerns over the increasing use of videos showing police officers for social media content, describing the trend as damaging to the morale of personnel.
The police chief spoke in Abuja during a meeting with Nigerian Bar Association President Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya and members of the NBA executive committee.
The engagement was organised to discuss ways of reducing repeated clashes and misunderstandings between police officers and lawyers.
Disu said concerns within the police force grew after a recent court judgment relating to the recording of officers in public.
He explained that following the judgment, some members of the public began routinely bringing out their phones to record police personnel wherever they encountered them.
According to him, the practice has gone beyond documenting police operations, with some individuals allegedly recording officers in places such as restaurants for social media skits.
The IGP described the situation as “very, very demoralising” for police personnel.
However, Disu did not say that citizens were prohibited from recording police officers performing their duties in public.
Rather, he acknowledged that members of the public have a right to make such recordings, while appealing to them to be responsible about how the footage is obtained and used.
His comments come amid wider efforts to improve public confidence in the police and strengthen relations between law enforcement personnel and the legal profession.
The meeting with the NBA provided an opportunity for both sides to discuss recurring disputes and possible measures to prevent future confrontations.
Disu’s remarks are expected to fuel further public discussion about the balance between citizens’ rights to document public officials and the need to prevent the misuse of recordings for harassment or entertainment.
