The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has declared the controversial police enforcement of tinted glass permits “illegal” and promised free legal aid to all victims.
The association accused the police of using the policy as a revenue drive rather than a security measure.
Olukunle Edun (SAN), Chairman of the NBA’s Public Interest Litigation Committee, issued the statement on Thursday.
He said the NBA would use the courts to protect citizens’ rights.
“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 harassed in the purported enforcement of the illegal tinted glass permit should contact any NBA branch,” Edun said.
According to him, Human Rights Committees in all 130 NBA branches are ready to provide free legal services.
He warned that the police could extort up to N3 billion monthly under the scheme.
Legal Challenge Already in Court
The NBA reminded the Inspector General of Police that the issue is already before the Federal High Court, Abuja, under Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1821/2025.
The suit challenges the validity of the Motor Vehicles (Prohibition of Tinted Glass) Decree 1991 and seeks to restrain the police from arrests, harassment, or extortion linked to the policy.
NBA lawyer Godspower Eroga accused the police of plotting to divert proceeds into a private account instead of the Treasury Single Account.
He also argued that the 1991 law provides no measurable standards for window tinting.
Many factory-fitted vehicles, he noted, come with tinted windows by default.
Eroga further highlighted the hypocrisy of senior officers who drive SUVs with dark-tinted glasses while enforcing the rule against ordinary Nigerians.
NBA Condemns Revenue-Driven Policing
The association stressed that the police are not a revenue agency and warned that the policy amounts to “taxation without legislation.”
It cited the embarrassing case in Asaba where Justice O. A. Ogunbowale’s vehicle was impounded on the first day of enforcement.
The NBA urged judges to act in the public interest, stressing that its urgent application for an injunction could not be heard due to the court vacation.
“The judiciary’s authority and integrity are best protected when it prevents chaos, even if it means bending a procedural rule,” the NBA said.
The body insisted that the enforcement of tinted glass permits is unconstitutional, exploitative, and harmful to public trust in law enforcement.
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