The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has filed a lawsuit against the Nigeria Police Force, challenging the legality of the controversial tinted glass permit policy introduced earlier this year by the Inspector-General of Police.
At its pre-conference National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on August 23 in Enugu, the NBA resolved to contest the directive, which requires motorists to obtain annual permits for tinted vehicle glasses through a digital portal operated by a private vendor.
The policy, announced in April 2025, directed applicants to process permits via possap.gov.ng and pay stipulated fees. Initially slated for enforcement on June 1, 2025, implementation was later pushed to October 2. Despite the extension, reports of harassment and extortion of motorists by police officers have persisted across the country.
Critics, including the NBA, argue that the policy infringes on citizens’ constitutional rights to dignity, privacy, freedom of movement, and property. The association also questioned its legal foundation, noting that it is based on the Motor Tinted Glass (Prohibition) Act, a 1991 military decree that may not satisfy constitutional requirements for laws “reasonably justifiable in a democratic society.”
Further controversy surrounds the financial structure of the scheme, as payments for permits are reportedly directed into an account belonging to Parkway Projects, a private company, rather than the Federation Account or Treasury Single Account (TSA), raising concerns over transparency and accountability.
In line with its NEC resolution, the NBA, through its Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL), filed a suit at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on September 2. The case, Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/182/2025, lists the Incorporated Trustees of the NBA as claimant and the Inspector-General of Police as defendant.
Confirming the legal action, Prof. Paul Ananaba, SAN, Chairman of NBA-SPIDEL, said the association would pursue the case to its logical conclusion. He urged the police to respect the judicial process and suspend enforcement of the policy pending the court’s ruling.
The matter has not yet been assigned to a judge.