You Can’t Stop Nigerians From Filming Police — Inibehe Effiong Fires Back At IGP Disu

Legal practitioner and human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, has challenged the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, over his warning against Nigerians recording police officers for social media content, insisting that citizens have a constitutional right to film law enforcement officers while they are carrying out their official duties in public.

Effiong stated this on Friday during an interview on Channels Television, days after the IGP described the practice of recording police officers for social media skits as “very, very demoralising” to members of the Nigeria Police Force.

While Disu maintained that his concern was not about citizens’ right to record officers but about turning policemen into content for social media, Effiong argued that the police had failed to clearly define what it meant by “content creation.”

“What is content creation? Is it materials generated and disseminated or published or circulated for revenue generation? Or is it simply posting information for public enlightenment?” Effiong asked.

“What is the determining factor? Is it the quest for financial gain or public enlightenment? And who is the content creator?”

The lawyer argued that by a broad definition, the Nigeria Police Force itself is a content-producing institution because it operates multiple platforms used to create and distribute information.

“Because if you examine the phrase content creator and content creation broadly, one can say that even the police itself is a content-creating institution,” he said.

He noted that the force owns and operates official social media accounts, a website, and a police radio station through which it regularly produces and disseminates content.

“The reason is that the police owns and operates different platforms through which contents are created and disseminated, including the police social media handles, the website of the police, and other platforms, and even the police radio,” Effiong added.

According to him, it is important for the police to clarify whether the warning is specifically aimed at comedians, pranksters and skit makers who create humorous content for commercial purposes.

“So when the IG speaks about using policemen for content creation, it is important for us to be cautious. Is it referring to skit makers, entertainers or pranksters who are individuals who make a career or make a living from making comical contents and reproducing them online to generate traffic as a source of living?” he queried.

Effiong also questioned why the police appeared uncomfortable with members of the public recording officers while they were performing official duties.

“The question is, why is the police constantly fidgeting over the recording of their officers in the course of their duties?” he asked.

Disu had cited situations where police officers were filmed while eating as an example of the behaviour he found troubling.

However, Effiong said he had not seen evidence suggesting such incidents were widespread on social media.

“He cited an instance where he said police officers would be eating and people would be filming them. I haven’t seen that being a practice that is rampant on social media,” he said.

He challenged the police to provide examples that justify the IGP’s concerns.

“So I would be happy if the police can cite some instances to portray the fact that the IG has referenced,” Effiong said.

The human rights lawyer maintained that Nigerians have an unmistakable constitutional right to record police officers and other law enforcement officials while they discharge their statutory responsibilities in public spaces.

“But speaking generally, Nigerians have the right, unmistakably, to record incidents. Not just the police, but law enforcement officers generally, in the course of discharging their statutory responsibility,” he stated.

He explained that the right is guaranteed under Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution, which protects freedom of expression.

“That freedom includes the freedom to disseminate and propagate ideas and information,” Effiong said.

He added that the constitutional protection extends to the devices and platforms used to share information, including mobile phones and other electronic gadgets.

“Within the current constitutional framework, the right of the Nigerian people, the right of every person to record officers in public places usually, while exercising public responsibilities is important,” he concluded.