‘Don’t bring your camera’: Filmmakers face extortion in Lagos

What the report says

Filmmakers, journalists and other content creators in Lagos, Nigeria, say routine work in public spaces is becoming more dangerous because men known locally as agberos and other groups demand payment, threaten crews and sometimes use violence. Al Jazeera reported that a documentary crew led by sound recordist Nurudeen Sanni was confronted in Ajah after filming began, with the situation escalating into a fight and one crew member being stabbed. The account was presented as part of a broader pattern affecting production and reporting across the city.

The article says several other creators have described similar incidents. Music video director TG Omori said a night shoot in Ikoyi was disrupted by people asking for money, while actress and content creator KieKie said she was pressured to pay after filming in Obalende and later spent heavily on security for another shoot. Camera operator Karina Adobaba-Harry also described being asked for money while covering a demolition in Makoko for News Central. Independent filmmaker Jean-Fidele E Ananou and analyst Stanley Ikechukwu said the pressure adds costs and can push reporters and filmmakers away from certain locations.

Al Jazeera said analysts and media workers view the problem as more than a financial nuisance: it can limit what gets recorded and reported, especially at protests, floods, fires and other public events. That, in turn, may encourage self-censorship and reduce public access to information.

The report also noted that Lagos state officials say no one has authority to demand money for taking photos or filming in public. For creators, however, the issue is shaping how they plan shoots and how freely they can document one of Africa’s largest cities.