A Delta State High Court in Orerokpe has issued an interim order, restraining the Nigeria police from enforcing the tinted glass permit policy, which the police authorities had said would commence on 2 January.
Justice Joe Egwu gave the order on Wednesday, 17 December, following an exparte motion filed by, Israel Joe, the applicant, against the Inspector- general (IGP) of police, the Nigeria police, and the commissioner of police in Delta State, who are the respondents in the suit marked HOR/FHR/M/31/2025.
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A Lagos-based rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, posted a copy of the court order on Facebook on Wednesday.
The court also restrained the police from “stopping, harassing, arresting, detaining, or extorting” Nigerians “under the guise of enforcing the tinted glass permit policy pending the hearing and the determination of the substantive application filed in the suit”.
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The interim order further restrained the police from the bank account of a private contractor, Parkway Project, to conduct government business pending the determination of the suit.
Kunle Edun, SAN, and other lawyers represented the applicant, Mr Joe, in court.
Implication of the order
Mr Effiong, the lawyer who posted a copy of the court document, said the implication of the order is that the police would not be able to enforce the tinted glass permit policy as planned.
“By this order, the announcement made by the Nigeria police on its decision to resume the tinted glass permit enforcement on 2nd January, 2026 has been halted by the court,” the lawyer wrote.
Background
The policy, introduced by the IGP in April, required motorists to obtain annual tinted glass permits via an online platform.
Enforcement, initially scheduled for 1 June was later postponed to 12 August and further extended to 2 October.
Many Nigerians have criticised the policy for enabling harassment, extortion, and civil rights violations by police officers.
On 2 September, the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), through its Section on Public Interest and Development Law, filed a suit (FHC/ABJ/CS/1821/2025) at the Federal High Court, Abuja, challenging the legality of the policy.
The NBA argued that the measure was based on the outdated Motor Tinted Glass (Prohibition) Act of 1991, lacked statutory authority to impose fees, and could lead to harassment and abuse by the police.
The association also warned that the policy placed unnecessary financial burdens on Nigerians, especially as many imported vehicles already come with factory-fitted tinted glass.
The police were duly served court processes, represented by Ayotunde Ogunleye, also a SAN.
The case came up for hearing on 12 December before Judge M. S. Liman.
During the hearing, the police confirmed the suspension agreement, leading the court to strike out the motion for interlocutory injunction.
Similarly, on 3 October, a Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State, ordered the police and the IGP to suspend the enforcement of the tinted glass permit across the country.
The police authorities later claimed they had not been served with the order which insisted that the status quo must be maintained in the ongoing legal battle until the suit was decided.
The suit was instituted by John Aikpokpo-Martins against the IGP and the police.
On 9 October, the police announced they had suspended enforcement of the policy following IGP’s meeting with a delegation from the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) led by its President, Afam Osigwe, SAN.
But the police, on 15 December, made a u-turn and announced that they would resume the enforcement of tinted glass permits from 2 January 2026, citing security reasons.
The NBA immediately condemned the announcement and accused the Nigeria police of contempt of court and a disregard for the rule of law over the plan to resume enforcement of the policy.
The body called the police’s announcement to resume enforcement “a reckless overreach” and “a serious assault on institutional integrity.”
The association urged the IGP to withdraw the statement and halt enforcement until all related court matters are determined.
It also directed its branches and the NBA Human Rights Committee to provide legal support to any motorist harassed or prosecuted over the policy.
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