The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has dragged the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, before the Federal High Court, challenging the legality of the police’s tinted-glass permit policy.
The association, at its National Executive Council meeting in Enugu on August 23, resolved to test the policy in court, describing it as unlawful and a violation of citizens’ fundamental rights.
Introduced in April 2025, the policy requires motorists to obtain annual permits for vehicles with tinted glass through a digital portal, with enforcement earlier scheduled for June 1 before being shifted to October 2.
In a statement on Thursday, the Chairman of the NBA’s Section on Public Interest and Development Law, Prof. Paul Ananaba (SAN), raised concerns that fees collected under the scheme are being paid into a private account rather than the Federation Account.
He said the arrangement lacked transparency and accountability.
“The portal is reportedly managed by a private vendor, and there is no indication that funds generated will go into the Federation Account,” the statement read.
The NBA also alleged that motorists have already suffered harassment and extortion at police checkpoints despite the policy’s enforcement date being months away.
According to the association, payments for the permit are being routed into the account of Parkway Projects, a private firm, in violation of financial regulations.
The NBA argued that the directive infringes on rights to dignity, privacy, movement, and property, adding that its reliance on the Motor Tinted Glass (Prohibition) Act, a 1991 military decree, makes it unconstitutional in a democratic setting.
The suit, filed in Abuja on September 2, 2025, is titled The Incorporated Trustees of the Nigerian Bar Association v. The Inspector General of Police & Anor (Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/182/2025). The suit is yet to be assigned to a judge.
Prof. Ananaba said the NBA would pursue the case to a logical conclusion and called on the police to suspend enforcement until the court delivers its judgment.
The police had reactivated the digital tinted glass permit platform on May 1, 2025, after years of public complaints about extortion and abuse linked to tinted windows.
While the Force said the move was meant to improve transparency and strengthen national security, motorists have criticised the N16,000 fee as harsh given current economic realities.
