Despite ongoing court proceedings, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) says it is prepared to begin enforcing the tinted glass permit policy on October 2.

In April 2025, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, introduced a policy requiring motorists to obtain annual tinted glass permits from the NPF at a cost of N14,200.

In August 2025, the IGP approved a 52-day extension of the enforcement deadline, moving the commencement date to October 2, 2025.The police cited a significant rise in permit applications through its official portal as evidence of growing public compliance with the directive.

However, at the National Executive Council meeting of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) held on August 23, 2025, in Enugu, the association announced plans to challenge the legality of the tinted glass permit policy in court.

It described the policy as a violation of citizens’ rights and raised several concerns, including questions over the validity of the Motor Tinted Glass (Prohibition) Act (Decree 1991), a military-era law under which the police have anchored the directive.

Against this backdrop, the NBA, through its Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL), filed a public interest suit at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on September 2, 2025.

The case, Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/182/2025, Incorporated Trustees of the Nigerian Bar Association v. The Inspector General of Police & Anor, essentially challenges the legality of the tinted glass permit policy.

The action was initiated under the leadership of SPIDEL’s Transition Committee Chairman, Paul Ananaba, SAN, and the Section’s Public Interest Litigation Committee, chaired by Olukunle Ogheneovo Edun, SAN, whose proactive efforts led to the filing of the suit. The section has vowed to pursue the litigation to its logical conclusion.

Yesterday, the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Benjamin Hundeyin, warned vehicle owners against driving without a permit. He said: “It has come to our notice that this is going round. Please do not be misinformed. Only an order of court can stop the enforcement of an existing law. There is no such order. Mere service of court papers is not equal to a court order. Kindly be guided.

“Enforcement of the Motor Vehicle Tinted Glass law commences as planned on Thursday, 2 October 2025.”