Activist Harrison Gwamnishu has shared a video showing the moment an officer of the Nigeria Police Force attempted to stop him from filming their interaction during a stop-and-search exercise in Delta State.
The officer had stopped Harrison and asked him to open his bag for a search. Harrison opened his bag and then turned on his camera to record their incident. However, The officer immediately got infuriated and ordered him to turn off the camera.
‘’Do not ‘video’ me until I ask you to. Do not try it..unless I give you consent’ the officer said
Harrison responded by saying the officer is a public servant who can be recorded while on duty. He demanded to see the video Harrison had recorded, and when Harrison refused to show him, he tried to snatch the phone.
He composed himself immediately when the Officer in Charge of his unit mentioned to him that the man who he was interacting with is the popular Harrison.
Reacting to the incident, Harrison wondered what would have happened if he wasn’t popular.
‘’“IMAGINE IT’S NOT HARRISON?
If this could happen to me, imagine what an ordinary citizen with no public platform might face.
Videoing police officers while they are searching you is not a crime. Professional officers carrying out lawful duties should have nothing to fear from being recorded in public.
When an officer’s first concern is stopping you from recording instead of carrying out a lawful search, it raises serious questions about transparency and accountability.
Every Nigerian deserves to be treated with dignity, respect, and in accordance with the law.
Observation: Incidents like this raise concerns about whether the Nigeria Police Force directives, public statements, and human rights guidelines are being adequately communicated to or followed by officers on our road” he wrote
Watch the video Harrison shared below
