Tinted Glass: Court Halts Police Enforcement of Tinted Glass Permits Nationwide

A Federal High Court sitting in Warri has issued an order compelling the Nigeria Police Force to immediately suspend its enforcement of the tinted glass permit for vehicle owners . The interim directive requires the police to maintain the existing state of affairs and honour judicial proceedings while the substantive legal issues are determined .

The ruling was delivered as proceedings opened in a lawsuit filed by legal practitioner John Aikpokpo-Martins, who is challenging the legality of the police’s renewed permit enforcement . The police had initially set an October 2 deadline for motorists to obtain the permits, defending the policy as lawful and citing a 1991 act alongside national security concerns .

Prior to this court order, the Nigerian Bar Association had strongly criticised the enforcement, labelling the policy an illegal, revenue-driven scheme and vowing to provide free legal services to any citizens harassed by the police . The association had also alerted the police to a separate, pending lawsuit in Abuja that challenges the constitutionality of the policy .

The police had commenced enforcement activities on October 2, leading to vehicle impoundments across several states, including the car of a National Industrial Court judge in Delta State . With this new court order, the enforcement activities must now cease pending further judicial review .