The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed in its entirety a suit filed by the Nigerian Bar Association challenging the Nigeria Police Force’s enforcement of the motor vehicle tinted glass permit policy, holding that the use of tinted glass on vehicles is not a constitutionally guaranteed right.
Justice Suleman Liman of Court 11 at the Federal High Court, Maitama, delivered the judgment in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/182/2025, brought by the Incorporated Trustees of the Nigerian Bar Association on behalf of itself, Nigerian legal practitioners, and the motoring public against the Inspector General of Police and the Nigeria Police Force.
In his judgment, Justice Liman resolved all issues in favour of the defendants, holding that the NBA failed to establish the alleged illegality of the tinted glass permit policy.
The court found that the NBA did not discharge the requisite burden of proof necessary to substantiate its claims. Consequently, the court held that the Association lacked the locus standi to institute and maintain the action.
Justice Liman further held that the claims presented by the NBA did not demonstrate any violation of the provisions contained in Chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution or the Fundamental Rights Enforcement Procedure Rules. The court ruled that the NBA failed to show that any legal injury had been suffered which would warrant the intervention of the court, and that there was no sufficient legal basis upon which the Association could maintain the suit.
In a significant observation, the judge noted that the concerns raised by the NBA appeared to be premised more on institutional convenience rather than on any legally enforceable right, and therefore did not disclose any reasonable cause of action recognizable in law.
On the substantive issue at the heart of the case, Justice Liman held that the use of tinted glass on vehicles is not a constitutionally guaranteed right. The court described the policy regulating tinted glass as a security-driven measure aimed at curbing crime within the society.
The judge held that the police cannot be restrained from implementing or enforcing measures designed to ensure public safety and the protection of citizens. He concluded that the NBA’s claims amounted to mere assertions lacking sufficient legal foundation and failing to disclose any reasonable cause of action.
The suit stemmed from the Inspector General of Police’s reintroduction of the tinted glass permit policy, rooted in the Motor Vehicles (Prohibition of Tinted Glass) Act, which requires vehicle owners to obtain annual permits through an online platform before using tinted glass on their vehicles.
The NBA had challenged the policy as unconstitutional, illegal, and prone to abuse and extortion by police officers. The case was filed in September 2025 amid widespread public debate over the policy, with several related suits in other judicial divisions, including Warri, resulting in interim orders directing the maintenance of the status quo or temporary halts in enforcement pending determination of the matters.
However, Thursday’s ruling from the Abuja Federal High Court represents a final decision on the NBA’s substantive challenge and effectively clears the path for the Nigeria Police Force to continue enforcing the tinted glass permit policy nationwide without the constitutional restraint sought by the Association.
The judgment is a setback for the NBA and the motoring public who had hoped for judicial intervention against what they described as an extortionate and burdensome policy. The ruling affirms the authority of the police to regulate the use of tinted glass on vehicles as a legitimate security measure.
As of the time of filing this report, there has been no official indication from the NBA on whether it intends to appeal the judgment.
