By David Lawani
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has launched a scathing attack on the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) over its decision to resume enforcement of the suspended tinted glass permit policy from January 2, 2026, accusing the Police of executive recklessness and contempt for the rule of law.
The Police had announced the planned resumption in a statement issued on Monday by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, who said the move followed a review of emerging security concerns and rising vehicle-related crimes.
According to Hundeyin, the policy is aimed at enhancing public safety.
However, reacting sharply, NBA President Mr Afam Osigwe described the announcement as a blatant disregard for due process and judicial authority.
In a statement he personally signed, Osigwe said the police action confirmed a “troubling pattern of lawlessness” by an institution constitutionally mandated to uphold the law.
He argued that the announcement, dated December 15, 2025, amounted to executive recklessness, particularly because the matter is already before a court of competent jurisdiction.
The NBA recalled that on September 2, 2025, through its Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL), it instituted a suit at the Federal High Court, Abuja, challenging the legality of the tinted glass permit policy.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1821/2025, questions the Police’s authority to impose fees or financial obligations on citizens under the policy.
According to the association, it was alarming that barely one working day after the court relied on an undertaking by the defendants’ counsel, the Police issued a contradictory statement announcing a resumption of enforcement.
The NBA described the development as a reckless overreach and an assault on institutional integrity, insisting that the policy is unconstitutional, extortionate and a threat to citizens’ rights and economic well-being.
The association called on the Inspector General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, to immediately withdraw the statement and halt all enforcement actions pending the final determination of the case.
It also directed its branches and Human Rights Committees nationwide to provide legal assistance to any citizen harassed or arrested under the policy.
The NBA warned that it would initiate contempt proceedings against the IGP and CSP Hundeyin if the directive were ignored, and vowed to commence disciplinary action against any legal practitioner found to have misled the court.
Citing the Supreme Court decision in Governor of Lagos State v. Ojukwu (1986), the association stressed that the undertaking given by the Police in court was binding.
It also appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene, warning that the planned enforcement would undermine judicial authority and impose unjustified financial hardship on Nigerians.
