Your rights at a checkpoint

Last updated: 11 October 2026

Most stops are routine. These points help them stay calm and quick, and say how to report misconduct if it happens.

At the checkpoint

• Stay calm and polite. Keep your hands where they can be seen, speak calmly, and don't argue on the road.
• Officers should identify themselves. Officers on duty should be in uniform with a name tag. You can politely note the name, number and place.
• You don't pay money at a checkpoint. There is no fee for passing a checkpoint. A lawful fine comes with an official receipt or a ticket, not cash in hand.
• Keep your papers ready. Show your licence and vehicle papers when asked. If something is wrong, ask what the official next step is.
• Record only where it's safe. You may record politely if it's safe to do so. Never put yourself at risk.

Top 4 things to do

1. Record, if it's safe. In N-Way, tap the police alert (or Report › Your rights at a checkpoint) and Record. Only when you've stopped, or let a passenger do it.
2. Stay calm. Keep your hands visible, speak politely and ask the officer to identify themselves: name and number.
3. Don't pay money. You don't have to pay money at a checkpoint. A lawful fine comes with an official receipt; ask for one.
4. Report misconduct. See the steps below.

How to report police misconduct

Last checked: 11 October 2026

1. Note it safely. When you're safe, write down the officer's name and number, the unit, the vehicle plate, the place, the date and the time. Keep your N-Way recording, and back it up if you're signed in.
2. Tell the Complaint Response Unit (CRU). The Nigeria Police Force CRU takes complaints 24 hours a day. Say what happened and include the details above.
   • WhatsApp or SMS: 0805 700 0003 (complaints only)
   • Call: 0913 333 3785 or 0913 333 3786
   • X (Twitter): @PoliceNG_CRU
   Source: Nigeria Police Force official accounts: x.com/PoliceNG_CRU/status/1845320611893035234, x.com/PoliceNG_CRU/status/1808548816725103020, x.com/PoliceNG/status/1684850274291085312; also npf.gov.ng.
3. Or another official body.
   • National Human Rights Commission takes complaints about rights abuses, including by police, from anywhere in Nigeria: online complaint form, toll-free 0800 647 2428, or in person at 19 Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja. Source: nhrc.nigeriarights.gov.ng
   • Police Service Commission disciplines police officers and has a division for public complaints and petitions: info@psc.gov.ng, 0703 407 2676, or by letter to its headquarters at Plot 64, Cadastral Zone B16, Sector Centre B, Jabi, Abuja. Source: psc.gov.ng/police-discipline, psc.gov.ng/contact
   We only list channels we could confirm on an official source. Other channels you may hear about aren't listed here for that reason.
4. What to include, and what happens next. Include the details, any recording, and how to reach you. Keep any reference number you're given; they may contact you for more.
5. Safety first. Don't argue, or record, where it could put you in danger. Report later, from somewhere safe.

Numbers can change; if one doesn't work, check the source. This is general information, not legal advice.

Recording in N-Way

N-Way's recorder saves video with sound to the app's private storage on your phone, not your gallery. Nothing is uploaded unless you tap Back up while signed in. Recordings on the phone are deleted after 7 days unless you keep them once for 7 more; backups are stored encrypted for 30 days (60 if kept) and deleted with your account. Clearing your photos won't remove a recording, but deleting the app or resetting the phone will. See Privacy.

In the N-Way app

Drivers can report police on the road, and others confirm whether it's still there. Reported delays count towards your arrival time like traffic, so if another way is quicker, N-Way offers it. Tap a police alert to see the top 4 things to do.