The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has cautioned the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, against proceeding with the planned enforcement of the tinted glass permit policy scheduled to commence on January 2, 2026, insisting that the matter is still before the courts.
In a statement signed by its president, Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN), the NBA urged President Bola Tinubu to rein in the police leadership, describing the announcement of enforcement by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, as a clear affront to judicial authority.
The association disclosed that its Section on Public Interest and Development Law filed a suit on September 2, 2025, at the Federal High Court in Abuja challenging the legality of the policy. The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1821/2025, questions the constitutional and statutory basis for the Nigeria Police Force to impose fees or other financial obligations on citizens under the policy.
According to the NBA, the Motor Tinted Glass (Prohibition) Act of 1991, on which the policy is based, is a military-era law that fails to meet democratic and constitutional standards under Section 45 and other provisions of the 1999 Constitution. The association further argued that the National Assembly lacked the legislative competence to enact the law, rendering the policy invalid.
The NBA warned that enforcement of the policy would expose motorists to extortion, harassment, and intimidation, citing the police’s history of abuse in similar circumstances. It also raised transparency concerns, noting that payments for tinted glass permits were reportedly directed into a private account rather than the Treasury Single Account.
The association recalled that on October 3, 2025, the Federal High Court sitting in Warri ordered all parties in a related suit to maintain the status quo, effectively restraining the police from enforcing the policy pending the determination of an interlocutory application. It added that, following public outcry, the police had agreed during a meeting with NBA representatives to suspend enforcement until the courts delivered their judgments.
Expressing shock at the announcement of enforcement resumption, the NBA described the move as “executive recklessness” and a breach of due process. It warned that it would initiate contempt proceedings against the Inspector-General of Police and the police spokesperson if enforcement proceeds.
In defence of citizens’ rights, the NBA directed all its branches and the NBA Human Rights Committee to immediately intervene and provide legal representation to any Nigerian harassed, arrested, detained, or prosecuted, or whose vehicle is impounded, over alleged violations of the policy.
The association also noted that counsel to the police had given an undertaking in open court to await judicial determination, stressing that any contrary action would amount to overreaching the court and undermining the rule of law. It cited the Supreme Court’s decision in Governor of Lagos State v. Ojukwu (1986) 1 NWLR (Pt. 18) 621 in support of its position.
The NBA concluded by calling on President Tinubu to intervene, warning that enforcing the policy would not only undermine judicial authority but also worsen the financial burden on Nigerians already grappling with economic hardship.