NBA Pledges Free Legal Aid Against Police Tinted Glass Harassment

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has vowed to provide free legal assistance to Nigerians subjected to harassment by police officers enforcing the contentious tinted glass permit policy, which it has branded as illegal and a revenue-generating scheme. Olukunle Edun, SAN, Chairman of the NBA’s Public Interest Litigation Committee, stated unequivocally that the association would use judicial powers to protect citizens’ rights against unlawful police actions.

Edun urged any motorist facing harassment or extortion under the tinted glass permit enforcement to promptly contact their nearest NBA branch. With 130 branches across Nigeria, the NBA’s Human Rights Committees stand ready to offer pro bono legal aid to affected motorists, warning that police could collect up to N3 billion monthly if the administration of the permit fees remains unchecked.

The NBA reminded the Inspector General of Police in a letter dated October 2, 2025, that the issue was already under adjudication at the Federal High Court in Abuja (Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1821/2025). The ongoing lawsuit challenges the validity of the Motor Vehicles (Prohibition of Tinted Glass) Decree 1991 and seeks an injunction to prevent police from making arrests, conducting harassment, or extorting money related to the tinted glass permit policy.

Godspower Eroga, a lawyer with the NBA, alleged that the police intended to divert proceeds from the permit fees into a private account, bypassing the Treasury Single Account, and highlighted that the decree lacks clear standards for tint levels and contradicts allowances for factory-fitted tinted windows. Eroga also pointed out the hypocrisy of senior police officers freely driving tinted SUVs without interference.

ADVERTISEMENT

Describing the tinted glass permit scheme as “taxation without legislation,” the NBA stressed that the police force is not a revenue-collecting agency. The association condemned the recent impoundment of a vehicle belonging to Justice O. A. Ogunbowale in Asaba on the first day the policy was enforced, calling the incident “an embarrassing and avoidable situation.”

Further expressing frustration, the NBA lamented that its urgent request for an injunction was delayed by court vacation and appealed to the judiciary to act decisively in the public interest, noting that safeguarding the judiciary’s integrity often requires preventing disorder, even at the cost of procedural flexibility.

The Nigerian Police Force, however, maintains that the tinted glass permit is a lawful crime prevention measure, with enforcement set to commence despite the ongoing legal challenge. The police claim exemptions for factory-fitted tints and vehicles of dignitaries and assert commitment to transparency through a digital permit portal. Nonetheless, the NBA and civil society remain vigilant, committed to defending the rights of Nigerians from what they describe as unlawful extortion and rights violations under the permit policy.

This clash highlights growing tension between law enforcement and civil rights advocates over the tinted glass permit, which many Nigerians view as an unfair tax disguised as a security measure. The NBA’s extensive pro bono engagement signals strong institutional backing for citizens resisting the police enforcement of this controversial policy .