The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has condemned the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) decision to resume enforcement of the tinted glass permit policy.
Benjamin Hundeyin, police public relations officer, had said enforcement would resume on January 2, 2026.
The spokesperson, while citing rising vehicle-related crimes, clarified that there was no court order restraining police action.
‘DISREGARD FOR RULE OF LAW’
Mazi Osigwe, NBA president, described the police decision as “a disregard for the rule of law and an affront to judicial authority.”
The NBA said that the decision is “a troubling disregard for the rule of law and the due process it is constitutionally mandated to uphold.”
The association added that the tinted glass policy, introduced in April 2025, has been associated with harassment, extortion, and violations of citizens’ rights.
The NBA filed a suit at the federal high court in Abuja challenging its legality, questioning the police’s power to impose financial obligations on citizens.
Osigwe said the NBA contends that the Motor Tinted Glass (Prohibition) Act of 1991 no longer meets constitutional standards in a democratic setting and that the levy imposed under the policy amounts to unlawful taxation and economic hardship.
The association also raised concerns that permit fees were paid into a private account rather than the Treasury Single Account (TSA).
A separate suit by John Aikpokpo-Martins in Warri led to a court order directing parties to maintain the status quo.
Following this, the inspector-general of police (IGP) agreed to suspend enforcement pending court decisions, an undertaking communicated to the Abuja federal high court by Ayotunde Ogunleye, senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN)
Osigwe said it was “disturbing” that enforcement was announced barely one working day after the court proceedings, calling it “a reckless overreach” capable of undermining public confidence.
The NBA has directed its branches to provide legal support to affected citizens and warned it would initiate contempt proceedings if the police fail to comply.
BACKSTORY
Police began enforcing the tinted glass scheme on October 2, requiring vehicle owners to secure yearly authorisation through an online platform.
The NBA argued that the policy infringes citizens’ dignity, privacy, free movement, and property rights, prompting separate litigation in Abuja and Delta, where a court halted enforcement pending judicial review.