CP Ahmed Sanusi says no motorist will be spared as authorities intensify crackdown on vehicles allegedly linked to kidnappings, one-chance robberies and other violent crimes in Abuja.
Motorists driving tinted vehicles in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) could face arrest and prosecution regardless of whether they possess official permits, the Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, has warned in a sweeping directive aimed at tightening security in Nigeria’s capital.
The announcement marks a significant escalation in the FCT Police Command’s campaign against tinted vehicles, which authorities say have become a preferred tool for kidnappers, armed robbers, drug traffickers and other criminal networks operating within Abuja.
Speaking in a video shared by the command’s spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, Sanusi made it clear that officers would not distinguish between drivers with valid tint permits and those without.
“There is a total ban on the usage of tinted vehicles. We’re not looking at whether you have a tinted permit or you don’t have a tinted permit. Whether you have a permit or not, if we get to you with your tinted vehicle, we will arrest you,” the police commissioner said.
Sanusi argued that heavily tinted vehicles provide cover for criminals, making it difficult for law enforcement officers and members of the public to detect suspicious activities or identify occupants.
He stressed that even motorists presenting permits would be subjected to scrutiny to determine whether they legitimately qualified for such approvals.
“Even if you show us that you have a permit, we will investigate you whether you even qualify in the first place to have applied for that permit or to even use the tinted vehicle,” he said.
According to the commissioner, the command is determined to prevent criminals from exploiting government-issued permits as shields for illegal activities, including kidnapping, the movement of arms and ammunition, and drug trafficking.
Sanusi also addressed claims by some motorists that medical conditions necessitate the use of tinted vehicles, insisting that such exemptions would only be recognised after thorough verification.
“It is up to you to prove to us. If you give us your results that recommend that you should use such type of vehicle, we’ll verify from the hospitals that gave that to you. All we want is evidence,” he stated.
The police chief, however, distinguished between factory-fitted tints and aftermarket modifications, noting that many manufacturer-installed tints still allow reasonable visibility into the vehicle, unlike the darker films often applied after purchase.
He said investigations into kidnapping cases and the notorious “one-chance” robberies in the FCT have repeatedly featured heavily tinted vehicles, reinforcing the command’s decision to adopt a zero-tolerance approach.
“People have been carried in tinted vehicles unnoticed. So we said it has to stop. It must stop, and the only way to stop it is to go after all tinted vehicles, not separating those who have permits from those who don’t. We’ll go after all equally,” Sanusi said.
The renewed enforcement forms part of a broader security drive targeting tinted vehicles, covered number plates and unregistered cars, which police say are routinely used to frustrate investigations and facilitate criminal operations.
Residents have been urged to comply with the directive or risk sanctions ranging from vehicle impoundment to arrest and prosecution as the command intensifies efforts to curb violent crime across the nation’s capital.
