Court Halts Police Tinted Glass Permit Enforcement

A Delta State High Court sitting in Orerokpe has stopped the Nigeria Police from enforcing the tinted glass permit policy that was scheduled to begin in January 2026. The order was issued by Justice Joe Egwu after an application filed by Israel Joe against the Inspector General of Police, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Delta State Commissioner of Police.

The judge granted the interim order after hearing an ex parte motion brought before the court. The decision bars police officers from carrying out checks, arrests, detention, or any form of harassment of motorists based on the tinted glass permit until the main case is heard and decided.

The court also stopped the police from using the bank account of a private company, Parkway Project, for government-related activities until the matter is fully resolved. Legal representation for the applicant was led by Kunle Edun, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, along with other lawyers.

Following the ruling, a Lagos-based human rights lawyer made the court order public and explained that the police can no longer go ahead with plans to resume enforcement of the policy on January 2, 2026, as earlier announced.

The tinted glass permit policy was introduced earlier in the year and required vehicle owners to obtain yearly permits through an online system. Enforcement had been postponed several times after public complaints. Many Nigerians had raised concerns over possible abuse of the policy, linking it to harassment and extortion by police officers.

The Nigerian Bar Association had also gone to court to challenge the policy, arguing that it was based on an old law and could place extra financial pressure on citizens, especially those whose vehicles already came with factory-fitted tinted glass.

Although the police had earlier agreed to suspend enforcement and had meetings with the NBA, they later announced a return to enforcement, citing security reasons. This announcement led to fresh objections from legal groups and further court actions.

With the new order from the Delta State High Court, the enforcement of the tinted glass permit policy remains on hold until the courts give a final decision on the matter.