The Federal High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State, has delivered a landmark ruling affirming that Nigerians have the constitutional right to record police officers carrying out their duties in public, ordering that citizens must not be harassed, arrested, or have their devices seized for documenting police activities.
Delivering judgment on Tuesday in suit number FHC/WR/CS/87/2025, Justice H. A. Nganjiwa held that police officers must wear visible name tags, display their force numbers, and must not intimidate or retaliate against citizens who choose to film them while on duty.
The court awarded the applicant, Maxwell Uwaifo, N5 million in damages for the violation of his fundamental rights and an additional N2 million to cover litigation costs, bringing the total award to N7 million. The court granted all the reliefs sought by Uwaifo, reinforcing the right of Nigerians to freely document police actions in public spaces.
Reacting to the ruling, Uwaifo described the judgment as a major step forward for accountability in Nigeria. “This judgement has significant implications for policing standards, civil liberties, and public accountability across Nigeria,” he said in a statement shared with newsmen. “The court made far-reaching pronouncements on police accountability and citizens’ constitutional rights.”
The ruling is expected to have significant implications for the relationship between citizens and law enforcement across the country. Cases of police officers harassing, arresting, or seizing the phones of Nigerians who attempt to record them during operations or at checkpoints have been widely reported for years. Many Nigerians have been intimidated into deleting footage or handing over their devices under threat of arrest or physical harm.
With this judgment, legal experts say citizens now have a clear judicial backing to document police conduct without fear, and any officer who violates this right could face legal consequences….See More
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