The Federal High Court in Warri has delivered a landmark judgment affirming that Nigerian citizens have the constitutional right to record, film, or document police officers performing their official duties in public spaces.
In the ruling delivered on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, by Justice H. A. Nganjiwa in suit No. FHC/WR/CS/87/2025 (Maxwell Nosakhare Uwaifo v. Inspector-General of Police & Ors.), the court held that police officers must wear visible name tags and display their force numbers during public operations.
The judgment declared it unlawful for police to harass, intimidate, arrest citizens, or seize recording devices such as phones from individuals documenting their activities. Anonymous policing—where officers fail to display proper identification—was ruled unconstitutional in public contexts.
The case, filed by lawyer Maxwell Nosakhare Uwaifo as a fundamental rights enforcement suit, arose from an alleged incident involving unidentified officers during a stop-and-search operation. The court granted all reliefs sought by the applicant.
Justice Nganjiwa awarded the applicant N5 million in damages for the violation of his fundamental rights and N2 million as costs of litigation, totaling N7 million.
The decision is expected to enhance police accountability and transparency, reinforcing citizens' rights to freedom of expression and access to information in public settings. The ruling applies nationwide as a binding precedent from the Federal High Court.
No immediate response has been issued by the Nigeria Police Force or the Inspector-General of Police regarding implementation or potential appeal.
