Tinted Glass Permit Dispute Deepens as Police Await Formal Notice

Tinted Glass Permit Dispute Deepens as Police Await Formal Notice

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has responded to reports of a Federal High Court directive instructing it to maintain the status quo in the ongoing legal dispute over the enforcement of tinted glass permits.

In a statement issued by Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, the police clarified that they have not yet been formally served with the court order.

The response followed a social media post on Saturday by human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong, who shared a copy of the court’s ruling on X (formerly Twitter). Hundeyin addressed the post, stating: “While we have not been officially served the court order you’re making reference to, let me, in the meantime, show point no. 8 (of the same order) since you left that part out and focused only on point no. 6. Nigerians deserve a complete picture, not a skewed one.”

Point 8 of the ruling states: “Meanwhile, Reliefs 1, 2 and 3 are hereby refused.” These reliefs were requested by the applicant, John Aikpokpo-Martins, on behalf of Nigerian motorists with tinted glass vehicles, in Suit No. FHC/WR/CS/103/2025 — *John Aikpokpo-Martins v. Inspector General of Police & Nigeria Police Force*. The reliefs sought included:

– An interim injunction preventing the police from implementing the new tinted glass permit policy scheduled to begin on October 6, 2025.

– A directive restraining officers from stopping, harassing, arresting, or detaining motorists under the guise of enforcing the policy.

– An order barring the use of the Parkway Projects account for collecting fees related to permit renewals or other government transactions.

Effiong had earlier posted excerpts of the ruling, which instructed the police to halt further enforcement actions pending the resolution of the case.

The Federal High Court in Warri emphasized the need for the police to maintain the status quo and respect the judicial process. Commenting on the development, lead counsel Kunle Edun, SAN, described the ruling as “a major step in upholding the rule of law and protecting the rights of citizens while the substantive issues are yet to be decided.”