The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and rein in the Inspector General of Police (IGP), warning that the planned resumption of enforcement of the controversial Tinted Glass Permit policy amounts to contempt of court and an unjustified burden on Nigerians.
At a press conference in Abuja, NBA President Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, condemned the Nigeria Police Force’s announcement that enforcement of the suspended policy would resume on January 2, 2026, describing the move as unlawful, extortionate and reckless while litigation over the policy remains before the courts.
Osigwe said the decision directly contradicts an understanding reached between the NBA and the police, as well as ongoing proceedings at the Federal High Court.
“The planned resumption of enforcement is against the grain of an ongoing court case and an understanding reached between the Nigerian Bar Association and the Nigeria Police Force,” he said.
He accused the police of transforming a law enforcement function into a revenue-generating scheme. “The Nigeria Police Force is not established to generate revenue,” Osigwe said, adding that the policy’s structure raises serious transparency concerns.
According to the NBA, payments for the permit are allegedly being made into a private account rather than a government-approved revenue channel, with no clarity on how funds are managed or what became of previously issued permits.
“If this policy is truly about security, why are earlier permits suddenly invalid?” Osigwe asked. “Why must Nigerians renew them? What this does is empower officers on the roads to extort and harass civilians.”
The NBA also criticised the timing of the announcement, saying it was designed to pressure Nigerians during the festive season.
“Nigerians are already groaning under harsh economic conditions, struggling to travel and provide for their families,” Osigwe said. “Now they are being compelled to submit to an extortionate process to obtain a so-called permit.”
He questioned why, if legitimate, the permit could not be integrated into routine vehicle documentation during registration or renewal, describing the policy as opaque and poorly justified.
The association said the matter is already before the Federal High Court in Abuja, where hearings have been concluded and judgment reserved. It warned that any attempt to enforce the policy before a ruling is delivered could amount to contempt of court.
In a detailed statement, the NBA said its Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL) filed Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1821/2025 on September 2, 2025, challenging the legality of the policy and the police’s authority to impose fees on citizens.
The suit argues that the Motor Tinted Glass (Prohibition) Act of 1991 is a military-era law incompatible with the 1999 Constitution and that its enforcement would trigger widespread extortion, given what the NBA described as the police’s long record of abuse, harassment and misconduct.
The NBA further warned that the levy adds to Nigeria’s growing tax burden, undermines investor confidence and contradicts tax reform measures scheduled to take effect in January 2026.
The association also cited an October 3 order of the Federal High Court in Warri directing parties to maintain the status quo in a related suit, an order it said prompted an agreement with the police to suspend enforcement pending judicial determination.
It described the Force Public Relations Officer’s announcement of a January 2 resumption as “shocking and disturbing” and evidence of “a troubling disregard for the rule of law.”
The NBA warned that it would initiate contempt proceedings against the IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, and police spokesperson CSP Benjamin Hundeyin if enforcement resumes. It also directed its branches and Human Rights Committee to provide immediate legal assistance to any Nigerian harassed or arrested under the policy.
Osigwe stressed that representations made in open court by police counsel constitute binding judicial undertakings, warning that any deviation would amount to overreaching the court, as established by the Supreme Court.
The NBA called on President Tinubu to intervene, warning that resuming enforcement would not only undermine the judiciary but impose fresh economic hardship on Nigerians already under strain.
