Eben Enasco Reporting.
A Federal High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State, has ruled that Nigerians have the right to record police officers while they perform their duties in public.
Delivering judgment, Justice H. A. Nganjiwa made it clear that police officers must conduct themselves within the limits of the law when engaging with citizens.
The court in its ruling, awarded ₦5 million in damages to Maxwell Uwaifo, who sued after his rights were allegedly violated during a police encounter.
The judgment emphasizes police transparency, requiring officers to wear name tags and display service numbers.
The ruling is seen by many, as a major step toward strengthening accountability within the country’s law enforcement system.
The court further held that no officer has the right to harass, intimidate, or arrest any individual for recording them in the course of their public duties.
It also ruled against the seizure or destruction of mobile phones used for such recordings, describing such actions as unlawful and a violation of fundamental rights.
Nigerians, including professional journalists have faced police harsh treatments and abuse on several occasions where several persons have been condemned to injuries of all sorts, or brutally murdered in some extreme situations when they attempt to capture unlawful arrest.
Many of such actions of the police operations have led to civil unrest, leaving more injury occurrences.