The Nigeria Police Force has pushed back against criticism from the Nigerian Bar Association over the enforcement of tinted-glass permits, insisting the policy is legal, security-driven and compliant with court processes.
In a statement issued Friday by Force spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin, the police said NBA president Afam Osigwe misrepresented the law and falsely suggested that the Force was acting outside judicial control.
The statement said the Motor Vehicles (Prohibition of Tinted Glass) Act, 2004 empowers the Inspector-General of Police to issue permits only when applicants present legitimate security or medical reasons.
The police argued that tinted vehicles have routinely aided kidnapping, armed robbery and terrorism, and said the policy is not a revenue stream.
It added that administrative payments are processed through Parkway Projects, a Central Bank-licensed payment service provider operating under a Federal Government-approved automation framework, not a private account.
The Force also addressed a purported court order circulating on social media, which claimed that enforcement had been suspended.According to the police, that information is false.
They said an application for an interim injunction at the Federal High Court in Warri was rejected, and that no court has barred enforcement.
The statement explained that the suspension earlier announced was a gesture of goodwill during engagements with the NBA, not the result of any judicial restraint and that the Force will still respect pending matters before the courts.
Inspector-General Kayode Egbetokun reaffirmed that any lawful enforcement will be professional and rights-based, warning against harassment and extortion by officers. He said individual misconduct will be punished but should not be used to malign the entire institution.
While acknowledging the NBA as an important stakeholder, the police accused unnamed lawyers of seeking publicity by spreading “mischief” and urged calm as the courts resolve ongoing legal challenges.
