A Federal High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State, has directed the Nigeria Police Force and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to maintain the status quo regarding the controversial tinted glass permit policy, pending the resolution of a legal challenge brought before the court.
In its ruling, the court restrained the police from enforcing the tinted glass permit policy until the lawsuit challenging its legality is fully determined. The decision means that the police must hold off on new enforcement measures or crackdowns under the policy while the legal arguments are being heard.
The legal suit (Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1821/2025) was filed by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) through its section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL). The NBA argues that the tinted glass permit scheme is unconstitutional and violates citizens’ rights, including dignity, privacy, freedom of movement, and property.
The NBA contends that, despite this lawsuit being filed, the police have publicly announced plans to begin enforcing the tinted permit policy. According to them, those announcements run the risk of irreparable harm, and thus the court order to maintain status quo is necessary.
The NBA, in a letter to the IGP, emphasized that once a court process is served, the party must hold things as they are (“status quo ante bellum”) until the court decides. Should the police go ahead with enforcement, the NBA warned it would pursue contempt proceedings against officers who act in violation of the court order.
In response, the police force had earlier expressed that the tinted permit policy derives from the Motor Vehicles (Prohibition of Tinted Glass) Act, 2004, which they claim authorizes them to issue permits for tinted glass usage on legitimate grounds such as security or health.
While the court’s order is specific to the Warri jurisdiction, similar legal challenges and public resistance have been reported in other states. In Cross River State alone, over 100 vehicles were impounded following enforcement efforts tied to the tinted permit policy.
Critics have raised concerns that the tinted permit scheme may become a revenue-generating tool for the police rather than a security measure, especially given difficulties motorists already face in securing the permits.
The court’s status quo order holds until the full debate and final judgment on the legality and constitutionality of the tinted glass permit policy is concluded.
Should the police violate the court’s directive, they could face legal sanctions including contempt proceedings.
The outcome of the lawsuit will likely determine whether tinted glass permits can be enforced nationwide, or whether the practice is struck down as unconstitutional.
