A High Court sitting in Orerokpe, Delta State, has issued an interim order stopping the Nigeria Police Force from enforcing its recently reintroduced tinted glass permit policy.
The order, granted in Suit No. HOR/FHR/M/31/2025 on 17 December 2025, followed a fundamental rights action filed by a group of senior lawyers: Kunle Edun, SAN, Ikechukwu Ogbonna, E. Onoriode, S. C. Okporgu, T. L. Diogboghie, A. H. Okifo, Sir F. O. Yekovie and J. K. Ezugwu.
The Police had on 15 December 2025 announced that full enforcement of the tinted glass permit regime would resume from 2 January 2026, citing public safety and internal security concerns.
However, Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, said in a statement that the interim order now restrains the Police from going ahead with that plan pending the hearing of the substantive suit or a vacation of the order.
He explained that the Nigeria Police Force has already entered appearance in the case, filed preliminary objections and applied formally for the order to be set aside. The matter has been adjourned to 20 January 2026 for further proceedings.
“In line with constitutional obligations and respect for judicial authority, the Nigeria Police Force has placed the enforcement of the Tinted Glass Permit policy on hold nationwide, pending the decision of the court,” Hundeyin said.
He added that the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, remains committed to upholding the rule of law while pursuing the Force’s mandate of protecting lives and property.
According to the statement, the Police will continue to rely on “lawful, intelligence-driven strategies” to tackle security challenges, and will issue clearer guidance to the public once the court gives further direction.
The suspension of the enforcement move comes amid long-standing public complaints that tinted glass checks are often abused by security agents and can be used as a tool for extortion and harassment, even as police authorities insist they are necessary for crime prevention.
Members of the public have been advised to await further communication from the Police after the court’s next sitting, as the outcome could determine whether the controversial permit regime returns in its current form, is modified, or is abandoned altogether.
