Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has cautioned Nigerians against turning police officers performing their official duties into entertainment content for social media.
The police chief’s warning comes amid the growing trend of recording encounters involving law enforcement officers and subsequently sharing the footage online, with some videos being used for skits, jokes and other forms of social media content.
Disu stressed the need for members of the public to exercise responsibility when recording police personnel, particularly when officers are engaged in official duties.
“Do not turn our officers into content for skits,” the Inspector-General of Police said, urging Nigerians to understand that police officers are carrying out responsibilities that could involve sensitive security matters.
The rise of smartphones and social media platforms has made it increasingly easy for incidents involving police officers to be recorded and circulated within minutes. While recording events in public spaces can sometimes serve legitimate purposes, the police leadership is concerned about situations where such footage is taken out of context or used primarily for entertainment.
According to Disu, police officers should be allowed to carry out their duties without becoming targets of content creators seeking material for online engagement.
His comments have also drawn attention to the broader conversation surrounding the relationship between law enforcement and social media users in Nigeria. Police encounters frequently attract public attention online, particularly when videos of officers go viral.