POLICE DEFY PENDING LAWSUIT, BEGIN NATIONWIDE TINTED GLASS PERMIT ENFORCEMENT AMIDST NBA THREATS AND PUBLIC OUTRAGE

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has reacted with fury and legal action as the Nigeria Police Force commenced the nationwide enforcement of its controversial re-introduced Tinted Glass Permit (TGP) policy on October 2, 2025. The enforcement began in defiance of a pending public interest lawsuit filed by the NBA challenging the legality and constitutionality of the entire scheme.

Through its Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL), the NBA has taken the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to the Federal High Court in Abuja, arguing that the enforcement is unlawful and a blatant disregard for the judicial process.

Legal and Financial Grievances

The NBA’s core contention rests on multiple grounds:

1. Constitutional Violation: The association argues that the policy infringes on citizens’ fundamental rights to dignity, privacy, and freedom of movement.
2. Illegal Revenue Collection: The Bar Association alleges that the mandatory permit fees (reported to be between N14,200 and N16,000) are being channeled into a private account, rather than the Federation Account or Treasury Single Account (TSA), effectively turning the police into an unconstitutional revenue-generating agency. The NBA estimates the policy could generate at least N3 billion monthly for the police.
3. Military Decree: The NBA challenges the legal foundation of the permit, which it says relies on the Motor Vehicles (Prohibition of Tinted Glass) Act of 1991—a military decree that may not pass the constitutional test for being “reasonably justifiable in a democratic society.”

Clash with the Judiciary

The tension escalated immediately with the commencement of enforcement, as police officers in Asaba, Delta State, reportedly impounded the vehicle of a National Industrial Court Judge, Justice O. A. Ogunbowale. The NBA’s SPIDEL slammed the action as “embarrassing” and a stark demonstration of the dangers the policy poses to the public.

In a letter to the IGP, the NBA warned that the police have a legal duty to maintain the status quo ante bellum (the state before the action) once served with court processes, especially a Motion on Notice for injunction. The association has vowed to “invoke the powers of the court” to protect citizens’ rights and has offered to provide free legal services (pro bono) to any motorist harassed or extorted by the police over the permit.

Despite the legal threat, the Police, citing security concerns and the Motor Vehicles Act, have maintained that enforcement will continue, stating that only a definitive court order can halt the exercise. The IGP’s directive mandates that all vehicles with tinted glass must now present valid and verifiable permits upon demand, warning that defaulters risk impoundment and prosecution.