Police move to resume tinted glass permits to trigger harassment, legal chaos – NBA  

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has condemned the Nigeria Police Force over the recent announcement to resume enforcement of the controversial motor vehicle tinted glass permit policy, saying it a direct affront to the authority of the court and could trigger harassment.

In a press release shared on Tuesday, NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, expressed concern over a statement issued by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, indicating that enforcement of the policy, initially suspended, would resume from 2nd January 2026.

The NBA recalled that in April 2025, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) introduced a policy requiring vehicle owners to obtain annual tinted glass permits online, amid reports of harassment, extortion, and other civil rights violations. The policy was later challenged in court by the NBA’s Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL) under Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1821/2025, questioning its legality and constitutionality.

“The Federal High Court, Abuja, accepted the undertaking given in court by the Defendants’ counsel, Chief Ayotunde Ogunleye, SAN, to suspend enforcement of the policy pending the determination of the matter. That undertaking was binding on the Nigeria Police Force,” the NBA statement read.

However, the NBA condemned the Force for issuing a public statement contradicting this undertaking, calling the move “a reckless overreach and a serious assault on institutional integrity.” The association noted that the action undermines judicial authority and risks imposing undue financial hardship on Nigerians.

The NBA further directed its branches and Human Rights Committee to provide legal support to any citizen harassed, arrested, or prosecuted under the policy, stressing that the association would pursue committal proceedings against the IGP and the Force PRO if they fail to retract the statement and halt enforcement.

The NBA also appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene, insisting that any attempt to enforce the policy before the court delivers its judgment would constitute a flagrant disrespect for judicial authority and the rule of law.