PCRC condemns filming of police officers at restaurants, stop-and-search points

Dr Rufus Egbagba, chairman of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) in Nigeria's Federal Capital Territory, has criticized a rising trend of residents and social media influencers recording police officers while they are at restaurants or engaged in personal activities. Egbagba made these remarks at the PCRC office in Abuja on Thursday, in response to a viral video showing police officers eating at a restaurant in Abuja's Kubwa area.

The practice, according to Egbagba, prompts critical questions about accountability, privacy, and the appropriate conduct of interactions between the police and the public. He emphasized that the recent stance of the Inspector-General of Police, Rilwan Olatunji, should not be misconstrued as an effort to protect errant officers from accountability or as a prohibition on recording police misconduct.

Olatunji's position, Egbagba clarified, calls for responsible engagement. Officers carrying out their lawful duties must not face unnecessary provocation or have every encounter turned into content for online views and engagement.

Instead, if an officer is suspected of misbehavior, the appropriate course of action remains preserving the evidence and reporting the incident through the correct channels. The Nigeria Police Force has a Police Complaint Response Unit (PCRU) where complaints against officers can be lodged, and videos and other evidence submitted for investigation and appropriate action.

Egbagba stressed that social media exposure should complement, not replace, formal investigation. A brief video clip may not always encapsulate the full context of an incident, including what preceded it, the conversations off-camera, or the events that followed. Once published, such content can rapidly influence public opinion against an individual officer or the force as a whole, prior to the facts being verified.

Egbagba pointed out that, like any large organization, the police force has its share of problematic individuals. However, he stressed that the misconduct of a few officers should not be used to justify the actions of the entire force. He warned that repeatedly recording and sharing the misconduct of a few officers could create a misleading impression that such behavior defines the entire Nigeria Police Force, which could negatively affect the nation's international image.

Furthermore, Egbagba highlighted the human dimension of this issue. Many police officers are posted to remote, isolated, and dangerous locations, often far from their families and under challenging conditions. He noted that filming officers without their consent during ordinary, off-duty moments, such as eating at a restaurant, could harm their morale.

Ultimately, Egbagba advocated for accountability over sensationalism, asserting that when an officer acts incorrectly, evidence should be preserved and reported through the appropriate channels so that the relevant authorities can conduct an investigation and take the necessary action.