THE Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has announced the temporary suspension of enforcement of the tinted vehicle glass permit, following a court order halting the exercise.
The decision, according to the Force, will remain in effect until the judiciary delivers its final verdict on the ongoing case challenging the legality of the enforcement.
The clarification was made on Wednesday by the Spokesperson of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh, during a live interview on AIT monitored by News Point Nigeria.
SP Adeh confirmed that the suspension came immediately after the police officially received the court order restraining the Force from continuing the enforcement of tinted glass regulations.
“Information reaching me from the office of the Force PRO is that the order has been received and the enforcement of the tinted permit is now on hold pending the court’s verdict,” Adeh said.
She emphasized that the police would fully comply with the judicial directive and suspend all enforcement operations relating to tinted glass permits nationwide.
“We are waiting for the verdict. We are not against the courts, and we will continue to wait until we get a verdict,” she added.
The suspension follows months of public criticism and legal challenges against the enforcement of tinted permit regulations by the police. Many motorists had complained of harassment, extortion, and undue profiling by officers who cited the tinted glass policy as justification for frequent stop-and-search operations.
The Federal High Court in Abuja, in response to a suit filed by concerned citizens and civil society groups, reportedly issued an interim injunction restraining the police from further implementation until the case is determined.
The police, through its headquarters and zonal commands, had previously intensified enforcement of the permit, warning that vehicles with tinted windows without valid authorization could be impounded.
While confirming the halt in enforcement, Adeh clarified that the policy itself was never aimed at extorting motorists but was introduced strictly for security purposes.
“The law was not made by us. We are enforcers. The policy was purely security-driven. Some criminals were using tinted vehicles to commit offences, making it difficult for law enforcement to identify suspects,” she explained.
She noted that the regulation had, in the past, helped security agencies curb armed robbery, kidnapping, and smuggling operations in which suspects relied on heavily tinted vehicles to conceal weapons and victims.
Adeh also dismissed claims that the enforcement of tinted glass permits was a revenue-generating scheme for the police.
“We have heard people claim that the tinted permit policy is a way for police to make money. That is false. All payments related to tinted permits are made directly into the Federal Government’s Treasury Single Account (TSA). The police do not collect money from anyone for that purpose,” she stated.
She urged motorists to remain law-abiding and to await further directives from the Force Headquarters pending the outcome of the court case.