Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, has expressed concern over the growing trend of Nigerians recording police officers on their phones, describing the practice as "very, very demoralising" for members of the force.

Speaking in Abuja during a meeting with the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, and members of the NBA executive committee, Disu said the meeting was part of efforts to prevent recurring clashes between lawyers and police officers.

The exchange was shared in a video by TV Platinum on Wednesday.

According to the IG, a recent court judgment on the recording of police officers unsettled many within the force, after which citizens began filming officers in various locations.

"The recent judgement on recording of police officers, that one really jolted our officers. And it became something of concern to us because the citizens started coming out with their phones to record police officers everywhere they saw them," he said.

Disu noted that the trend had gone beyond official police duties, with some people reportedly filming officers even in restaurants.

"Everywhere you see a police man, start recording a police man. So this is something that was very, very demoralising to us," he said.

While acknowledging that citizens have the right to record police officers carrying out their duties in public, the IG urged restraint.

"We are not saying they cannot exercise their rights of recording officers in the public places while doing their jobs," he said, adding, "But they should put restraints and not turn our police officers to content for their skits or anything."

He also pointed to the difficult conditions many officers work under, particularly at checkpoints in remote areas.

"If you look at where we have our officers on checking points, there are dangerous areas thick in the forest, thick in the bushes, on the highways, middle of nowhere," he said, noting that officers often remain stationed there "morning and night" to protect the public.

Responding, Badejo-Okusanya said a distinction needed to be made between legitimate recording of police activity and intrusion into officers' privacy, citing situations where "policemen sitting down somewhere eating" are filmed without regard for their personal space.

Still, she maintained that transparency in police duties should not be discouraged.

"We should not be afraid of being transparent in the lawful execution of our duties," she said, pointing to the introduction of body cameras by police in the United States as an example of how recording can support accountability.

She argued that the solution wasn't to stop recording altogether, but to establish clearer boundaries.

"We just need to understand the limits," she said, adding that existing laws could be reinforced to prevent misuse of the privilege.

She further stressed that lawyers and police officers should work collaboratively, describing both groups as "partners in the same quest to ensure that we have a safe and vibrant society that respects the rule of law."