The Nigeria Police Force says it has not yet received the official court order directing it to suspend the enforcement of tinted-glass permits, despite reports of a Federal High Court ruling halting such operations pending further hearing.
Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, made the clarification on Saturday while responding to widespread reports that the police had been restrained from arresting or prosecuting motorists over tinted windows.
A Federal High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State, had on Friday granted an interim order in Suit No. FHC/WR/CS/103/2025: John Aikpokpo-Martins v. Inspector-General of Police & Nigeria Police Force, directing the police to suspend enforcement of tinted-glass permits pending the determination of the substantive suit. The court also ordered the police to maintain the status quo and refrain from taking any action against motorists until the matter is fully resolved.
However, Hundeyin, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), said the police had not been formally served the order and, therefore, could not yet act on it.
“While we have not been officially served the court order you’re making reference to, let me, in the meantime, show point number eight (of the same order) since you left that part out and focused only on point number six. Nigerians deserve a complete picture, not a skewed one,” he wrote.
The clarification came in response to posts by human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong, who shared parts of the court ruling restraining the police from enforcing the tinted-glass regulation.
The controversy stems from a policy reinstated by the police in April 2023 under the Police Specialised Services Automation Project (POSSAP), which resumed the issuance of tinted-glass permits after it was suspended in 2022. The enforcement of the permit system has since been a source of friction between motorists and law enforcement agencies, with many Nigerians alleging harassment and extortion by police officers.
The court order, once officially served and enforced, could significantly impact how the police regulate vehicle tinting across the country, particularly as the substantive suit continues to unfold.
For now, the police maintain that enforcement remains unchanged until the order is formally received and processed through the appropriate legal channels.
