The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has strongly condemned the planned resumption of enforcement of the tinted glass permit policy by the Nigeria Police Force, describing it as a “grave affront to the majesty of the court” and a clear subversion of the rule of law.
In a press release dated December 15, 2025, and signed by its President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, the NBA reacted to an announcement by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, indicating that enforcement of the suspended policy would resume from January 2, 2026.
According to the NBA, the police announcement “once again confirmed the sad reality that the Nigeria Police Force… continues to exhibit a troubling disregard for the rule of law and the due process it is constitutionally mandated to uphold.”
The association recalled that the tinted glass permit policy was introduced by the Inspector General of Police in April 2025, requiring motorists to obtain permits annually through an online platform, with enforcement initially slated for June 1 and later postponed to October 2. It noted that reports of “harassment, extortion, and civil rights violations, particularly against young people, became widespread.”
The NBA explained that it approached the Federal High Court, Abuja, on September 2, 2025, through its Section on Public Interest and Development Law, challenging the legality of the policy in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1821/2025. The suit questioned the authority of the police “to levy fees or impose financial obligations on citizens” and described the policy as “unconstitutional, obnoxious, illegal, extortionate, and a threat to citizens’ rights and economic well-being.”
Among its objections, the NBA argued that the Motor Tinted Glass (Prohibition) Act of 1991 is “a military-era decree,” that the policy amounts to a revenue drive by an agency “which by law is not a revenue-generating organisation,” and that payments into a private account “raises serious concerns of transparency and corruption.”
The association also cited a separate order of the Federal High Court, Warri Division, directing parties to maintain the status quo and restraining the police from enforcing the policy pending the determination of a motion.
Following public outrage, the NBA said it held a high-level meeting with the Inspector General of Police and senior police officers, where it was agreed “that the enforcement of the policy will be immediately suspended to await the outcome of the matters in court.” This position, the NBA noted, was confirmed in open court on December 12, 2025, by police counsel, Chief Ayotunde Ogunleye, SAN, leading to the striking out of a motion for interlocutory injunction.
The NBA expressed shock that “barely one working day after the Court relied on the undertaking of the Defendants’ counsel, a contradictory statement emerged from the Nigeria Police Force announcing a reactivation of enforcement,” describing the move as “a reckless overreach” and “a contemptuous disregard for the authority of the Court.”
It warned that any attempt to resume enforcement while judgment is pending would undermine the judicial process, stressing that the undertaking made in court was “binding on the Defendants.”
The NBA called on the Inspector General of Police to “immediately withdraw the statement issued by CSP Benjamin Hundeyin and halt all attempts to reactivate enforcement” and directed its branches nationwide to provide legal representation to any citizen harassed under the policy.
The association further warned that it would commence committal proceedings against the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Force Public Relations Officer if the directive is ignored, adding that it may also initiate professional proceedings against any counsel found to have misled the court.
The NBA urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene, warning that the planned resumption would “amount to a slap on the face of the court” and impose “unjustified financial hardship” on Nigerians.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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