Jubilation As Court Order Suspending Police Tinted Glass Permit Enforcement

Jubilation yesterday greeted the news that a Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State has ordered the Police to maintain the status quo on the enforcement of vehicle tinted glass permit.

The court issued the order in suit No.FHC/WR/CS/103/2025, filed by a lawyer, John Aikpokpo-Martins, against the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Nigeria Police Force.

The order came barely hours after police operatives in the state impounded the vehicle of a judicial officer despite the pendency of a suit by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) last month challenging the legality of the exercise.

Scores of Nigerians who reacted to the news noted that enforcement of the tinted permit at this time showed insensitivity to the people’s economic plights.

Others raised concerns about the difficulty in completing the process through the digital portal, possap.gov.ng, accusing the police of reintroducing the exercise as a means to extort and harass motorists.

But there were still a handful of Nigerians who stood with the police, citing the spate of kidnapping and insecurity across the country, and the need for law enforcement officers to regulate the use of tinted permits.

In its suit filed last month, the NBA had argued that the policy was unlawful and violated citizens’ fundamental rights to dignity, privacy, and freedom of movement. It also claimed that the police’s ground for the enforcement was hinged on a 1991 Act, enacted under the military rule and contradicted the 1999 Constitution.

But their lawsuit did not stop the police as enforcement commenced in most states as scheduled.

The enforcement, the police said, is in strict compliance with the Motor Vehicles (Prohibition of Tinted Glass) Act, 2004, which remains a vital security regulation used to curb criminal activities and enhance public safety.

In Jigawa and Delta states for instance, the police intensified enforcements, impounding 20 and 25 vehicles respectively.

Spokesman for the Zamfara State Police Command told The Nation that offenders were charged to court immediately, adding that there was active enforcement across the 27 LGAs with emphasis on the state capital.

Adam added that he was not aware of any court order halting the exercise.

In Delta State, the police command through its X handle announced the clampdown on 25 vehicles for flouting the tinted permit law, vowing to sustain the tempo.