How Police in Nigeria Request Data from WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook
Authorised police and government officials in Nigeria can send preservation, emergency and records requests directly to Meta through its law-enforcement portals. For the content of messages, Meta says a mutual legal assistance treaty (MLAT) request or letter rogatory may be required. Nigeria has a bilateral mutual legal assistance treaty with the US in force since January 14, 2003, which is the usual channel when content is needed.
Nigeria at a glance
| US mutual legal assistance treaty | In force since January 14, 2003Treaty on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, with attachments Source |
|---|---|
| US CLOUD Act agreement | None Source |
| Budapest Convention on Cybercrime | Party (in force for it since 1 November 2022) Source |
| Requests to Meta (Jul - Dec 2025) | 15 total: 12 legal process, 3 emergency; some data produced in 20% Source |
How to make the request
- Preserve first. Send a preservation request so the account data is kept while legal process is prepared; Meta preserves records for 90 days pending formal process.
- Use the official portals with an official government email. Facebook and Instagram: Meta’s Law Enforcement Online Request System (facebook.com/records). WhatsApp: whatsapp.com/records. Step-by-step: our Facebook & Instagram and WhatsApp portal guides.
- Attach valid legal process under Nigeria’s law for records requests, and identify the account precisely (username, profile URL, phone number with country code).
- Emergencies: where there is imminent harm to a child or a risk of death or serious physical injury, use the portal’s emergency request route.
- Content: Nigeria has a bilateral mutual legal assistance treaty with the US in force since January 14, 2003, which is the usual channel when content is needed. When to use which channel: MLAT vs LERS vs Interpol.
Meta’s guidelines: “A Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty request or letter rogatory may be required to compel the disclosure of the contents of an account.” Source
Legal notes for Nigeria
- Meta reports only 15 requests from Nigeria in Jul-Dec 2025 despite an in-force MLAT and Budapest membership. Source
Cybercrime unit in Nigeria
National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) (Nigeria Police Force). See cybercrime agencies in Nigeria.
Treaty and request figures checked against the US State Department’s Treaties in Force, the US Department of Justice, the Council of Europe treaty office and Meta’s Transparency Center on 12 October 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice. Other platforms: the platform-by-platform LERS guide; every country: police data requests by country.