₦airaland Forum

By Punch Editorial Board

A landmark judgement delivered by Hyeladzira Nganjiwa, a judge at the Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State, marks a significant step forward for constitutional rights and civic freedoms in Nigeria.

In awarding ₦5 million in damages to a private citizen who challenged unlawful police stop-and-search operations conducted without proper identification, the court has sent a clear and timely message: citizens have the right to hold law enforcement accountable, including by recording their activities in public.

This judgement could prove pivotal in curbing a troubling pattern of police assault against journalists and ordinary Nigerians who attempt to document public events or police conduct.

The right to document public life is not a privilege; it is a cornerstone of freedom.

For too long, security personnel have operated with a sense of impunity, often reacting violently to being filmed. Recording security personnel on duty is neither illegal nor unjustified in a democratic society.

The ruling comes after numerous documented abuses.

yinkus6750:
Good judgement. Our law enforcement agencies are used to showing unnecessary supremacy on the citizens. It's normal that the ought to be accountable to the citizens. Ought to be courteous and polite in approach. Hope they will hear ?