The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has warned that it will initiate contempt proceedings against the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, and the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, over plans to resume enforcement of the suspended tinted glass permit policy.
In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by its President, Afam Osigwe, the NBA described the planned resumption as a defiance of a subsisting court order, warning that it would pursue committal proceedings if the police authorities failed to abandon the move.
The association was reacting to a press release dated December 15, 2025, signed by Hundeyin, which announced that enforcement of the tinted glass permit policy would resume nationwide from January 2, 2026.
Describing the decision as “a grave affront to the majesty of the court” and a subversion of the rule of law, the NBA said the policy had previously triggered widespread reports of harassment, extortion and civil rights abuses, particularly against young Nigerians.
The NBA recalled that in April 2025, the IGP introduced a policy mandating annual tinted glass permits for motorists, with enforcement initially scheduled for June 1 and later postponed to October 2, 2025, following public outcry.
According to the association, it instituted a suit through its Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL) at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on September 2, 2025, challenging the legality of the policy in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1821/2025, Incorporated Trustees of the Nigerian Bar Association v. Inspector General of Police & Anor.
The NBA argued that the Motor Tinted Glass (Prohibition) Act of 1991, under which the policy is anchored, is a military-era legislation that fails to meet constitutional and democratic standards, adding that its enforcement amounts to an unlawful and extortionate revenue drive by the Nigeria Police Force.
“The enforcement of this unlawful policy will only breed disorder and extortion, given the long history of bribery, harassment and rights violations associated with its implementation,” the association said, expressing concern that permit fees were being paid into the account of a private company.
The NBA also noted that a statement made in open court by its counsel, Chief Ayotunde Ogunleye (SAN), constituted a judicial undertaking binding on the defendants, warning that any executive action inconsistent with that undertaking would amount to overreaching the court.
Citing the Supreme Court’s decision in Governor of Lagos State v. Ojukwu (1986) 1 NWLR (Pt. 18) 621, the association warned that disregard for court orders undermines constitutional democracy.
“It is our sincere hope that the Nigeria Police Force will retrace its steps and respect the authority of the courts,” the NBA said, adding that failure to heed its warning would compel it to commence committal proceedings against the IGP and the Force Public Relations Officer until they purge themselves of contempt.
The association further warned that any lawyer found to have misled the court in the matter would face appropriate professional disciplinary action. It also called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene, noting that resumption of the policy would impose unjustified financial hardship on Nigerians.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force defended its decision, citing rising security threats, including armed robbery and kidnapping, allegedly facilitated by unauthorised tinted vehicles.
Hundeyin said the earlier suspension of enforcement was voluntary and not based on any court order, insisting that there was no legal restraint preventing the police from resuming the policy. He urged motorists to comply by obtaining permits through approved channels, stressing that the measure was aimed at protecting lives and property.
