Nigerians Can Record Police Without Harassment, Federal High Court Rules

A Federal High Court sitting in Warri has affirmed that Nigerians are legally entitled to record police officers while they carry out their duties in public.

In a ruling delivered Tuesday, Justice H. A. Nganjiwa declared that officers must display visible identification, including name tags and force numbers, and must not intimidate, arrest, or confiscate devices from individuals recording them.

The judgment arose from suit No. FHC/WR/CS/87/2025, obtained by Premium Times, and is being hailed as a major step toward improving police accountability.

The court awarded Maxwell Uwaifo N5 million in damages for rights violations and an additional N2 million to cover legal costs, granting all the reliefs he sought.

Speaking after the ruling, Uwaifo said:

“This judgement has significant implications for policing standards, civil liberties and public accountability across Nigeria.”
“The court made far-reaching pronouncements on police accountability and citizens’ constitutional rights.”

The suit, filed in the public interest, questioned the legality of stop-and-search operations conducted by officers without proper identification.

Those named in the case included the Nigeria Police Force, the Police Service Commission, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Attorney-General of the Federation.

Brought under the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules, 2009, the action referenced several sections of the 1999 Constitution — including Sections 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 41, and 46 — alongside provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

At the core of the case was whether citizens can lawfully record police officers and whether any attempt to stop or punish such actions amounts to a breach of constitutional rights.

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