NBA Urges Tinubu to Intervene as Police Reactivate Tinted Glass Enforcement

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The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently intervene and call to order the Inspector General of Police (IGP) over the planned resumption of enforcement of the suspended tinted glass permit policy.

NBA President Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, while condemning the move, described it as a grave affront to the authority of the courts and a dangerous subversion of the rule of law.

The NBA’s reaction followed a press release issued on December 15, 2025, by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, announcing that enforcement of the tinted glass permit policy would resume nationwide from January 2, 2026.

Addressing journalists, NBA President Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, condemned the decision, saying it showed a troubling disregard for due process and respect for court orders by the Nigeria Police Force.

“The press release not only amounts to executive recklessness but also portrays the Nigeria Police Force and its leadership as lacking in respect for the court, the rule of law, and due process of law,” Osigwe said.

He recalled that the controversy dates back to April 2025, when the IGP introduced a policy requiring motorists to obtain annual tinted glass permits through an online platform, with enforcement initially fixed for June 1, later shifted to October 2. According to him, the policy quickly triggered widespread complaints of harassment, extortion and rights violations, particularly against young Nigerians.

In response, the NBA, through its Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL), filed a suit on September 2, 2025, before the Federal High Court, Abuja, challenging the legality and constitutionality of the policy. The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1821/2025, questioned the authority of the police to impose fees on citizens and described the policy as unconstitutional, extortionate and economically oppressive.

Among other grounds, the NBA argued that the Motor Tinted Glass (Prohibition) Act of 1991 is a military-era decree that fails democratic standards, that the policy could fuel disorder and extortion, and that the police, not being a revenue-generating agency, lacked the power to impose such levies. The association also raised concerns that proceeds from the permit payments were allegedly paid into a private account rather than the Treasury Single Account.

Osigwe further noted that on October 3, 2025, the Federal High Court in Warri ordered parties in a related suit to maintain the status quo, effectively restraining the police from enforcing the policy pending the determination of an interlocutory application.

He said public outrage over continued enforcement attempts led to a high-level meeting involving the IGP, members of the Police Management Team, the police’s counsel, Chief Ayotunde Ogunleye, SAN, and senior NBA representatives. At that meeting, the police agreed to immediately suspend enforcement of the policy pending the outcome of the court cases.

“The IGP subsequently suspended enforcement of the policy and directed officers to cease and desist,” Osigwe said.

According to him, when the NBA’s Abuja suit came up for hearing on December 12, 2025, Chief Ogunleye informed the court of the agreement to suspend enforcement. Relying on that undertaking, Justice M. S. Liman struck out the motion for interlocutory injunction.

Osigwe described it as “deeply disturbing” that barely one working day later, the police issued a statement announcing a reactivation of enforcement.

“This volte-face represents a reckless overreach, a contemptuous disregard for the authority of the court, and a serious assault on institutional integrity,” he said.

The NBA noted that judgement has been reserved in the Abuja suit and insisted that the IGP has a constitutional duty to refrain from actions capable of undermining the court’s decision.

The association therefore demanded the immediate withdrawal of the police statement and a halt to all enforcement actions pending the final determination of the cases. It also directed all NBA branches and its Human Rights Committee to provide legal assistance to any Nigerian harassed, arrested, or prosecuted under the policy.

“The NBA will not allow citizens to be subjected to intimidation or abuse under a policy currently before the courts,” Osigwe said.

He warned that if the IGP fails to comply, the NBA would initiate committal proceedings for contempt against the IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, and CSP Hundeyin, and take professional action against any counsel found to have misled the court.

Citing the Supreme Court’s decision in Governor of Lagos State v. Ojukwu (1986), Osigwe stressed that any action contrary to a judicial undertaking amounts to overreaching the court.

The NBA also appealed directly to President Tinubu to intervene, warning that the planned resumption of enforcement would not only undermine the judiciary but also impose unjustified financial hardship on Nigerians already grappling with economic challenges.

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Rafiyat SADIQ

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Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.