KEY POINTS
- Court blocks tinted glass permit policy enforcement nationwide.
- Police barred from arrests and extortion linked to permits.
- Use of private contractor account suspended.
A Delta State High Court has issued an interim order stopping the Nigeria Police Force from resuming enforcement of the tinted glass permit policy across the country, dealing a setback to plans announced by police authorities earlier this month.
The ruling was delivered on Tuesday by Justice Joe Egwu at the High Court sitting in Orerokpe, Delta State. The judge granted an ex-parte application seeking to restrain the Inspector General of Police, the Nigeria Police Force and the Commissioner of Police in Delta State from enforcing the policy or taking action against motorists based on it.
The court also barred police officers from stopping, harassing, arresting, detaining or extorting motorists and other citizens under the guise of enforcing the tinted glass permit policy.
The order followed a suit filed by Israel Joe, a Nigerian citizen, who challenged the legality of the planned resumption of enforcement. The applicant was represented by Kunle Edun, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, alongside a team of lawyers.
The injunction halts an earlier announcement by the Nigeria Police Force that it would resume enforcement nationwide on January 2, 2026.
Court halts tinted glass permit policy
In granting the application, Justice Egwu restrained the police and all its officers, agents and contractors from implementing or continuing enforcement actions linked to the policy until the substantive application is heard and determined.
According to Vanguard, the court further restrained the police from using the Parkway Projects Account, which belongs to a private contractor, for any government business connected to the permit process.
According to the court order, the restraint on the use of the account will remain in effect pending the determination of the main suit.
Justice Egwu also granted leave for substituted service on the Inspector General of Police and the Nigeria Police Force through the Delta State Police Command headquarters in Asaba.
The judge ordered that such service should be considered proper and effective.
Police enforcement of tinted glass permit
The ruling raises fresh questions about the legal framework underpinning the permit system, which has long drawn criticism from motorists and civil rights groups over allegations of abuse and arbitrary enforcement.
Although the court did not rule on the merits of the case at this stage, the interim injunction effectively freezes enforcement nationwide until further proceedings.
The Nigeria Police Force has not yet issued a formal response to the ruling.
Legal observers say the outcome of the substantive suit could shape how vehicle regulations are enforced and financed, especially where private contractors are involved in public permit schemes.
The case has been adjourned, with the interim orders remaining in force until the court hears and determines the substantive application.
