Tinted Glass Enforcement Revives Police, NBA Dispute Ahead Of January Deadline

ABUJA – The Nigeria Police Force’s decision to resume enforcement of the tinted glass permit policy from January 2, 2026, has reopened a legal and institutional dispute with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), which insists the matter remains before the courts and has warned of possible contempt proceedings.

In a statement issued on Monday, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, said the police would recommence nationwide enforcement of the policy, citing rising security concerns linked to the misuse of unauthorised tinted vehicle glass. He said the decision followed a review of emerging threats and was taken pending the final determination of cases challenging the policy.

“Recent trends, however, reveal a disturbing rise in criminal activities perpetrated with the aid of vehicles fitted with unauthorised tinted glass,” Hundeyin said. “Some individuals and organised criminal groups have exploited this gap to conceal their identities and facilitate crimes ranging from armed robbery to kidnapping and other violent crimes.”

According to the police, enforcement had earlier been suspended in the interest of transparency and public convenience, to allow motorists time to regularise their documentation. Hundeyin maintained that the pause was discretionary and not based on any court order, adding that there was no judicial pronouncement restraining the Force from acting.

“The Inspector-General of Police, out of respect and understanding, temporarily suspended enforcement to give Nigerians additional time to regularise their tinted glass permits,” he said. “That decision was not based on any court order but was a discretionary move to accommodate public concerns.”

The announcement drew a sharp response from the NBA, which urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene and restrain the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun. In a statement signed by its president, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, the association said the planned resumption amounted to an affront to the authority of the courts, noting that the legality of the policy was already under litigation.

The NBA disclosed that its Section on Public Interest and Development Law had, on September 2, 2025, filed Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1821/2025 at the Federal High Court, Abuja, challenging the constitutionality of the tinted glass permit policy. It said hearing had been concluded and judgement reserved.

It further cited an order of the Federal High Court, Warri Division, in Suit No. FHC/WR/CS/103/2025, directing parties to maintain the status quo pending the determination of a motion for interlocutory injunction. According to the NBA, the order and public outcry led to an agreement, reached at a meeting involving police authorities and NBA representatives, that enforcement should be suspended pending the outcome of the cases.

The association accused the police of showing “a troubling disregard for the rule of law,” and warned that it would not hesitate to initiate committal proceedings against the IGP and the Force spokesperson should enforcement proceed. “Any contrary executive action amounts to overreaching the Court and undermines the rule of law,” the NBA said, citing the Supreme Court decision in Governor of Lagos State v. Ojukwu.

In response, the police reiterated that no court order barred enforcement. Speaking while briefing journalists during the presentation of suspects arrested by operatives of the Intelligence Response Team, Hundeyin said criminals had taken advantage of previous pauses to carry out violent crimes. He cited a recent incident in Edo State in which occupants of a tinted Lexus SUV allegedly opened fire on officers at a checkpoint, killing a police inspector.

The position remains that enforcement continues until a court directs otherwise,” he said. “At no point did any court restrain the Nigeria Police Force or the Inspector-General of Police from implementing the tinted glass permit order.”