Police Defy Court Order, Seize Over 200 Vehicles in Tinted Glass Permit Crackdown

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF), led by Inspector-General Kayode Egbetokun, is facing intense public and legal backlash following its nationwide enforcement of the tinted glass permit regulation. Despite a direct order from a Federal High Court to suspend the policy, police commands across at least six states have seized over 210 vehicles, provoking a standoff between the police and the judiciary.

The Enforcement and The Court Order

The controversy centers on the NPF’s decision to resume the mandatory issuance of tinted glass permits—a scheme the force had previously suspended in 2022. The police, citing the Motor Vehicles (Prohibition of Tinted Glass) Act of 1991 and national security concerns, initially set an October 2 deadline for compliance. The police also redesigned the permit process, making it an annual renewal requirement with associated fees, a move critics allege is primarily a revenue generation drive rather than a security measure.

However, a legal challenge filed by lawyer John Aikpokpo-Martins led the Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State, to issue an interim order on Friday, October 3, 2025, directing the police and the Inspector-General to suspend all enforcement and maintain the status quo pending further proceedings.

The police have largely ignored this judicial directive. Between Thursday and Friday, police commands reported the following seizures:

• Akwa Ibom: 88 vehicles seized.
• Borno: Approximately 30 vehicles impounded.
• Sokoto: 27 vehicles seized.
• Jigawa: 20 private and commercial vehicles seized.
• Gombe: No fewer than 20 vehicles impounded.

Police spokespersons in several states claimed they had yet to receive an official directive from Force Headquarters in Abuja to halt the operation.

Public and Legal Outrage

The NPF’s continued crackdown, especially in light of the court injunction, has drawn massive condemnation from the public, legal bodies, and civil rights groups.

Commentators have called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and instruct the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to respect the rule of law. Critics argue the tinted glass policy is:

1. Exploitative and Punitive: The renewal process is annual, cumbersome, and allegedly plagued by corruption, with unofficial fees ranging from ₦45,000 to ₦60,000 for insider access to the required online portal, far exceeding the official fee of less than ₦14,200.
2. Lacking Security Linkage: Many argue the policy is ill-conceived and not genuinely linked to addressing the country’s prevailing insecurity, but rather designed to turn the NPF into a revenue-generating agency.
3. Contemptuous of the Judiciary: The most serious accusation is that the police are showing a dangerous disregard for judicial authority by proceeding with enforcement while the matter is sub judice. This lack of respect for court processes, which one critic noted could amount to contempt, is seen as a major threat to constitutional governance.

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has taken a strong stance, with its Special Public Interest Litigation Committee assuring Nigerians that it would “Invoke the powers of the Court to ensure that the Nigeria Police Force does not trample on the rights of Nigerians.” The NBA has further instructed the Human Rights Committees of its 130 branches nationwide to offer pro bono legal services to citizens who are harassed by police officers over the tinted glass issue.