A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed a suit filed by the Nigerian Bar Association challenging the enforcement of the motor vehicle tinted glass permit policy by the Nigeria Police Force, ruling that the use of tinted glass is not a constitutional right.
The judgment was delivered by Justice Suleman Liman of Court 11 at the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/182/2025. The case was instituted by the Incorporated Trustees of the Nigerian Bar Association on behalf of legal practitioners and the motoring public against the Kayode Egbetokun and the Nigeria Police Force.
In his ruling, Justice Liman resolved all issues in favour of the defendants, holding that the NBA failed to prove its claims that the tinted glass permit policy was illegal or unconstitutional.
The court stated that the association did not discharge the burden of proof required to substantiate its allegations. Consequently, the judge held that the NBA lacked the locus standi, or legal standing, to institute and maintain the action.
Justice Liman further ruled that the claims presented by the NBA did not demonstrate any violation of the provisions contained in Chapter IV of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 or the Fundamental Rights Enforcement Procedure Rules.
According to the court, the NBA failed to show that any legal injury had been suffered that would warrant judicial intervention. The judge added that there was no sufficient legal basis upon which the association could maintain the suit.
The court also observed that the concerns raised by the NBA appeared to be based more on institutional convenience than on any legally enforceable right, noting that the claims did not disclose a reasonable cause of action recognised under the law.
On the central issue in the case, Justice Liman ruled that the use of tinted glass on vehicles is not a constitutionally guaranteed right. He described the policy regulating tinted glass as a security-driven measure aimed at addressing criminal activities in society.
The judge emphasised that the police cannot be restrained from implementing measures designed to ensure public safety and the protection of citizens.
The suit followed the reintroduction of the tinted glass permit policy by the Inspector General of Police under the Motor Vehicles (Prohibition of Tinted Glass) Act. The policy requires vehicle owners to obtain annual permits through an online platform before using tinted glass on their vehicles.
The NBA had argued that the policy was unconstitutional, illegal and susceptible to abuse and extortion by police officers. The association filed the case in September 2025 amid nationwide debate over the enforcement of the regulation.
Several related suits had also been filed in other judicial divisions, including Warri, where courts issued interim orders directing the maintenance of the status quo or temporarily halting enforcement pending the determination of those matters.
However, Thursday’s ruling from the Abuja Federal High Court represents a substantive decision on the NBA’s challenge and effectively clears the way for the Nigeria Police Force to continue enforcing the tinted glass permit policy across the country.
The judgment is considered a setback for the Nigerian Bar Association and many motorists who had hoped the court would intervene against what critics described as an extortion-prone policy.
As of the time of filing this report, the Nigerian Bar Association has not indicated whether it will appeal the judgment.