The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has reaffirmed the legality and security rationale of the Motor Vehicle Tinted Glass Permit Policy, dismissing recent comments attributed to the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mazi Afam Osigwe, as misleading and inaccurate.
In a press statement issued in Abuja, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, the statement reaffirmed the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun’s commitment to professionalism, transparency, accountability and the protection of fundamental rights, while calling for calm, responsible public discourse and respect for ongoing judicial processes.
CSP Benjamin Hundeyin said the Nigeria police was compelled to clarify the issues in the interest of public order, national security and institutional transparency, while reiterating its commitment to the rule of law, due process and respect for judicial authority.
The Police stressed that regulation of tinted vehicle glass is firmly rooted in law, citing the Motor Vehicles (Prohibition of Tinted Glass) Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. According to the Force, the Act is an enactment of the National Assembly and not a military decree, as alleged. Section 2(3)(a) of the Act, it noted, expressly empowers the Inspector-General of Police to issue permits, while Section 1(2) requires applicants to provide valid security or health-related justification.
The statement explained that the policy was introduced to address public safety concerns, particularly the use of obscured vehicles in crimes such as kidnapping, armed robbery and terrorism. It further rejected claims that the permit regime was revenue-driven, emphasising that the Nigeria Police Force is not a revenue-generating agency.
While acknowledging that funds may accrue incidentally in the discharge of statutory duties, the Force cited Section 26(1)(f) of the Police Act, 2020 (as amended), which recognises such authority. It added that administrative fees associated with the tinted glass permit are applied strictly to sustaining the technology and security infrastructure supporting the process.
The Police also defended the Police Specialised Services Automation Project, approved by the Federal Executive Council in July 2022 and implemented through a lawful Public-Private Partnership under the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission Act. The project, it said, enables online applications, security vetting and standardised processing nationwide, while eliminating extortion and inefficiencies associated with the former manual system.
Addressing allegations that payments were made into private accounts, the Force described the claim as false. It clarified that Parkway Projects Limited, referenced in the controversy, is a Central Bank of Nigeria-licensed payment service provider engaged by the Federal Government as a payment collection channel, similar to other recognised platforms. The Police added that the numbers cited were transaction identifiers, not private bank accounts.
On enforcement, the Force recalled that implementation of the policy had earlier been voluntarily suspended following engagements with stakeholders, including the NBA. It stressed that the suspension was an act of goodwill, not a result of any court order, and noted that no court had issued a restraining order against the Police on the matter.
The statement further disclosed that while judgments were pending in ongoing suits, including one before the Federal High Court in Abuja, the Police would not act in a manner that undermines judicial proceedings. However, it insisted that it could not abdicate its constitutional responsibility to safeguard public security, especially given current security challenges linked to the abuse of tinted vehicles.
The Force assured Nigerians that enforcement, where lawfully undertaken, would be professional, measured and rights-compliant. It warned that extortion, harassment or abuse of authority by officers would attract severe disciplinary sanctions, but cautioned against using individual misconduct to malign the institution.
