Tinted Glass Permit: NBA Offers Free Legal Aid, Slams Police Over ‘Illegal’ Enforcement

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has vowed to provide free legal representation to Nigerians harassed by the police over the controversial tinted glass permit, describing the enforcement as “illegal and unconstitutional.”

Through its Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL), the NBA insisted that the Nigeria Police Force has no constitutional authority to impose fees or demand annual renewals from motorists. It warned that the policy was nothing more than a revenue-driven scheme designed to extort Nigerians.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Chairman of the NBA’s Public Interest Litigation Committee, Olukunle Edun (SAN), condemned the move and assured that all 130 NBA branches across the country were prepared to offer pro bono legal services to affected citizens.

“The police are turning themselves into a revenue-generating agency instead of focusing on crime. We shall not allow this illegality to stand,” Edun stated.

The association 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), challenging the legality of the Motor Vehicles (Prohibition of Tinted Glass) Decree 1991. The NBA insisted that the police must maintain status quo until the court delivers judgment.

Court filings by NBA counsel, Godspower Eroga, further alleged that the police intended to divert funds into a private account — Parkway Projects (A/C No. 4001017918) — instead of remitting into the government’s Treasury Single Account.

He also pointed out that the law cited by the police provides no clear standards for vehicle tinting and is outdated, given that most modern cars come with factory-installed tinted glass.

The NBA accused the police of double standards, noting that senior officers themselves use SUVs with heavily tinted windows, often without permits.

Meanwhile, the association expressed outrage after police officers in Asaba impounded the vehicle of Justice O. A. Ogunbowale of the National Industrial Court on the first day of enforcement, calling the incident “an embarrassing and avoidable situation.”

The NBA warned that the judiciary’s integrity is at stake if it fails to act swiftly in matters of urgent public interest.