The Federal High Court Affirms Nigerians' Right to Record Police Officers
In a landmark judgment on 17th March 2026, the Federal High Court, Warri in the case of Maxwell Nosakhare Uwaifo v. I.G.P & Ors. (Suit No: FHC/WR/CS/87/2025), presided over by Justice H.A.Nganjiwa, upheld the constitutional rights of Nigerian citizens to record police officers performing their duties in public. The suit, brought by lawyer Maxwell Nosakhare Uwaifo, arose from a stop-and-search encounter where he alleged harassment for attempting to document the interaction. The court held that recording police-whether by video, photograph, or audio-is protected under Chapter IV of the Constitution, emphasising transparency, accountability, and proper law enforcement conduct.