Police defend tinted glass permit policy, dismiss NBA president’s claims

The Nigeria Police Force has defended its Motor Vehicle Tinted Glass Permit Policy, insisting that the regulation is lawful, security-driven and not designed as a revenue-generating scheme.

In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, the police said it was responding to recent comments attributed to the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mazi Afam Osigwe, which it described as containing material misrepresentations about the policy.

Hundeyin explained that the Inspector-General of Police is empowered under Section 2(3)(a) of the Police Act to issue tinted glass permits, while Section 1(2) of the Act requires applicants to provide valid security or health-related reasons. According to him, the policy is intended to address public safety concerns, particularly the use of tinted vehicles in crimes such as kidnapping, armed robbery and terrorism.

“The Nigeria Police Force remains a law-abiding institution operating strictly within the framework of the Constitution, extant statutes and valid court orders,” the statement said, adding that the Force has neither acted nor intends to act in contempt of court.

The police also rejected claims that the policy was introduced to generate revenue, stressing that the Force is not a revenue-generating agency. However, it clarified that the Police Act, 2020, allows the police to receive funds that accrue incidentally in the course of performing statutory duties.

Hundeyin said the current online application process for tinted glass permits operates under the Police Specialized Services Automation Project, approved by the Federal Executive Council in July 2022 and implemented through a Public-Private Partnership authorised by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission.

Under the automated system, applications are submitted online, subjected to security screening and approved strictly in accordance with the law. He noted that administrative fees paid by applicants are used solely to maintain the technology infrastructure and security systems that support the process.

The Force spokesperson also dismissed claims that payments are made into a private account operated by Parkway Projects Limited, describing the allegation as false and misleading.

According to him, Parkway Projects Limited is a Central Bank of Nigeria-licensed payment service provider engaged by the Federal Government to collect payments for the Vehicle Tint Permit Project, similar to other approved platforms such as Remita.

Hundeyin added that the enhanced tinted glass permit system was introduced to standardise applications nationwide, improve vetting and integrate security innovations previously absent from the process, while also eliminating bottlenecks and opportunities for extortion associated with the former manual system.