Key Points

• The Police tinted-glass permit suspension remains pending nationwide review.

• No official court order has reached Force Headquarters.

• Egbetokun plans digital verification to reform permit issuance.

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) says it has not received any court order telling it to start issuing tinted-glass permits again, even though there are a lot of rumours and conflicting reports online.

On Thursday, the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Olumuyiwa Adejobi, sent out a statement from Force Headquarters in Abuja to clear things up. He said that the force is still following its 2022 decision to put the permit scheme on hold until the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Interior have a chance to fully review it.

Police make their position on tinted-glass rules clear

Adejobi said, “The Nigeria Police Force has not received any court order telling us to start giving out tinted-glass permits again.” “The suspension will stay in place until the right legal authorities send an official message.”

The Motor Vehicles (Prohibition of Tinted Glass) Act of 1991 set up the permit to control the use of dark window shields for safety and privacy reasons. However, the police stopped the process when they connected it to the rise in kidnappings, armed robberies, and smuggling in several states, such as Kaduna, Niger, and Zamfara.

Adejobi said that drivers who have valid permits that were issued before the suspension are still not subject to penalties, but they must show proof of their permits during an inspection.

Confusion follows claims of viral court orders

The police response comes after a viral report said that Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja had ordered the police to start giving out the permits again. But legal experts like Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Femi Falana and constitutional lawyer Jiti Ogunye have warned against misreading court decisions without official publication or implementation guidance.

Analysts say that the controversy is a sign of a bigger problem in Nigeria’s justice system, where law enforcement and the courts don’t always communicate quickly enough, which can lead to false information.

Force asks for patience and promises a digital compliance system

Adejobi told Nigerians to wait for official updates from the police, such as those on the NPF X (formerly Twitter) handle and the NPF website, www.npf.gov.ng.

According to a report by Vanguard news, Adejobi said, “The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has said that the process will start again once legal advice is received, and that it will be done under a digital verification system to make sure it is clear.”

He went on to say that the goal of the program is to bring permit management in line with the National Vehicle Identification Scheme (NVIS) in order to stop forgery and illegal use.