The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has pledged free legal support to Nigerians hara§§ed by the police over the controversial tinted glass permit, describing the policy as “illegal” and revenue-driven.
In a statement, Olukunle Edun (SAN), Chairman of the NBA’s Public Interest Litigation Committee, said, “We shall invoke the powers of the court to ensure that the Nigeria Police Force does not trample on the rights of Nigerians. Any citizen hara§§ed in the purported enforcement of the illegal tinted glass permit should contact any NBA branch.”
He added that the Human Rights Committees of the association’s 130 branches are ready to provide pro bono services, warning that the police could extort up to N3bn monthly under the scheme.
The NBA reminded the Inspector General of Police in a letter dated October 2, 2025, that the matter is already before the Federal High Court in Abuja (Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1821/2025). The case challenges the legality of the Motor Vehicles (Prohibition of Tinted Glass) Decree 1991 and seeks to restrain the police from arrests, hara§§ment, or extortion.
NBA lawyer Godspower Eroga alleged that the police planned to divert proceeds into a private account instead of the Treasury Single Account, arguing the cited law sets no measurable standards for tinting and is incompatible with factory-fitted windows. He also noted that senior officers freely drive SUVs with dark tints.
The NBA insisted the policy amounts to “taxation without legislation,” stressing that the police are not a revenue agency. It condemned the impoundment of Justice O. A. Ogunbowale’s vehicle in Asaba on the first day of enforcement, calling it “an embarrassing and avoidable situation.”
The body lamented that its urgent application for an injunction was not heard due to court vacation, urging judges to act in public interest, “The judiciary’s authority and integrity are best protected when it prevents chaos, even if it means bending a procedural rule.”
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