The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has defended the enforcement of the Motor Vehicle Tinted Glass Permit Policy, insisting that the initiative is firmly grounded in law and driven by national security considerations rather than revenue generation.
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, on Friday maintained that recent public commentary attributed to the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Afam Osigwe, misrepresented both the legal basis and operational intent of the tinted glass permit regime.
The Force reaffirmed its commitment to the rule of law and respect for judicial authority, stressing that under the leadership of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, it has neither acted nor intends to act in contempt of any court.
According to the statement, respect for due process and adherence to valid court orders remain non-negotiable principles of police operations.
Clarifying the legal framework, the Police stated that the regulation of vehicle tinted glass is anchored on the Motor Vehicles (Prohibition of Tinted Glass) Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. The Force clarified that this is an Act of the National Assembly and not a military decree as alleged.
The Act empowers the Inspector-General of Police to issue permits to applicants who demonstrate legitimate security or health-related reasons.
The NPF noted that the policy was introduced primarily to address public safety challenges, pointing out that heavily tinted vehicles are frequently used in the commission of crimes such as kidnapping, armed robbery, and terrorism.
Such vehicles also obstruct traffic surveillance and intelligence-led policing efforts.
Dismissing claims that the permit regime is a revenue-generating scheme, the Police maintained that the NPF is not a revenue-driven agency. While acknowledging that the Police Act 2020 allows the Force to receive funds incidental to its statutory duties, it clarified that administrative fees are applied solely to sustain the technology and infrastructure supporting the application process.
The statement further defended the Police Specialised Services Automation Project, approved by the Federal Executive Council in July 2022. It described the project as a lawful Public-Private Partnership implemented under the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) Act.
The automated system enables online applications and security vetting, which the Police say eliminates the bottlenecks and extortion risks associated with the previous manual process.
Addressing allegations that payments are directed into private accounts, the Force described the claims as false. It explained that Parkway Projects Limited is a Central Bank of Nigeria-licensed payment service provider engaged by the Federal Government, similar to Remita.
The Police added that transaction reference numbers had been wrongly presented as private bank account details in public discourse.
On the issue of enforcement, the Police recalled that implementation of the policy was earlier suspended voluntarily following engagements with stakeholders, including the NBA.
The Force stressed that this suspension was an act of institutional restraint and not the result of a court order, adding that no court has issued a restraining order against the commission on the matter.
While acknowledging pending court cases, the NPF assured the public that it would not take any action capable of undermining judicial proceedings and would abide strictly by court decisions once delivered.
The Force warned that any officer found engaging in extortion or harassment during enforcement would face severe disciplinary action.
