AfriPulse
The planned resumption of enforcement of the motor vehicle tinted glass permit policy by the Nigeria Police Force has reignited a major legal and constitutional controversy, with critics warning that the move amounts to a direct challenge to the authority of the courts and a dangerous erosion of the rule of law.
In a press release dated December 15, 2025, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, announced that enforcement of the suspended tinted glass permit policy would recommence on January 2, 2026.
The announcement has, however, drawn sharp condemnation from legal observers who argue that the police action shows “a troubling disregard for due process” despite the policy being under active judicial scrutiny.
Observers said the development once again exposes what they describe as executive recklessness by the nation’s foremost law enforcement agency, portraying a leadership that appears unwilling to defer to the courts or respect constitutional safeguards.
*How the controversy began*
The tinted glass permit policy was first introduced in April 2025 by the Inspector General of Police, mandating vehicle owners to obtain annual permits through an online portal, possap.gov.ng. Enforcement was initially fixed for June 1, 2025, later shifted to October 2 following public backlash.
Almost immediately, reports of harassment, extortion, and rights violations—particularly against young Nigerians—flooded social media and civic platforms, intensifying public resistance to the policy.
*NBA takes the matter to court*
On September 2, 2025, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), through its Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL), approached the Federal High Court in Abuja to challenge the legality of the policy.
The suit, FHC/ABJ/CS/1821/2025, Incorporated Trustees of the Nigerian Bar Association v. Inspector General of Police & Anor, questions the constitutional authority of the Nigeria Police Force to impose fees or financial obligations on citizens under the guise of law enforcement.
In its court filings, the NBA contends that the tinted glass permit policy is “unconstitutional, illegal, extortionate, and a threat to citizens’ rights and economic well-being.”
*Key legal objections raised by the NBA*
The association argued, among other things, that:
– The Motor Tinted Glass (Prohibition) Act of 1991, relied upon by the police, is a military-era decree that no longer meets democratic standards under Section 45 and other provisions of the 1999 Constitution.
– The National Assembly lacks legislative competence to enact the law, rendering it invalid.
– Enforcement of the policy risks fuelling disorder, extortion, and abuse, given what the NBA describes as the police’s “long and sordid history of bribery, harassment, intimidation, and extra-judicial killings.”
– The policy represents a revenue-generation scheme, even though the Nigeria Police Force is not legally empowered to generate revenue, with fees allegedly paid into the account of a private company.
– The levy adds to Nigeria’s growing burden of taxation, worsening economic hardship for citizens and portraying the country as unfriendly to business.
– It undermines Nigeria’s tax reforms scheduled to take effect in January 2026, further complicating an already crowded tax environment.
– Many vehicles are imported with factory-fitted tinted glass, a reality the police allegedly ignore in their enforcement drive.
With the case still pending before the Federal High Court, legal experts warn that any attempt to resume enforcement before a judicial determination could set a dangerous precedent—one that places executive action above constitutional order and the authority of the courts.
Source: NationalAccordNewspaper | Read the Full Story…
