The Nigerian Bar Association has pledged to provide free legal services to Nigerians harassed by the police over the controversial tinted glass permit, which it described as illegal. Through its Section on Public Interest and Development Law, the NBA argued that the police have no constitutional authority to impose fees or annual renewals on motorists, warning that the enforcement is unlawful and amounts to a revenue-generating scheme.
In a statement on Thursday, Olukunle Edun (SAN), Chairman of the NBA’s Public Interest Litigation Committee, said the association would invoke the powers of the court to stop the police from trampling on the rights of Nigerians. He urged any citizen harassed during the enforcement to reach out to any NBA branch, noting that the Human Rights Committees in the 130 branches nationwide are ready to offer pro bono services. Edun alleged that the police could generate as much as N3bn within a month from motorists, turning the force into a revenue agency instead of focusing on crime. He added that the matter is already in court and accused the police of lawlessness for beginning enforcement.
In a letter to the Inspector General of Police dated October 2, 2025, the NBA reminded the force of the pending suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1821/2025 before the Federal High Court, Abuja, which challenges the legality of the permit policy. The suit, filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the NBA, argues that the Motor Vehicles (Prohibition of Tinted Glass) Decree 1991 is unconstitutional and inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution. It also seeks an injunction stopping further arrests, harassment, or extortion under the policy.
An affidavit filed by NBA lawyer Godspower Eroga alleged that the police planned to divert proceeds into a private account—Parkway Projects A/C No. 4001017918—instead of the Treasury Single Account. He argued further that the law cited by the police provides no measurable standard for tinting and does not account for modern vehicles that come with factory-installed tinted windows. Eroga also pointed out that past Inspectors General had at different times suspended the permit regime, sometimes declaring it free, indefinite, or unnecessary, while senior officers themselves continue to use SUVs with heavy tints without permits.
The NBA stressed that the police cannot impose what amounts to taxation without legislation and insisted that the Nigeria Police Force is not a revenue-generating agency of the Federal Government. Meanwhile, the association condemned the impounding of a National Industrial Court judge’s vehicle in Asaba, Delta State, on the first day of enforcement, calling it an embarrassing and avoidable incident that validated its concerns.
It disclosed that it had attempted to secure an injunction to halt the enforcement, but the Federal High Court’s vacation judge declined to hear the case, citing procedural restrictions. “The judiciary’s authority and integrity are best protected when its members act to prevent chaos, even if it means bending a procedural rule on the ‘last day’ on the bench,” the NBA concluded.
Source: https://punchng.com/
