Kebbi Police to Enforce Tinted Glass Permit Amid Legal Challenge

The Kebbi State Police Command has announced its readiness to commence the nationwide enforcement of the tinted glass permit policy on October 2, 2025.

The command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Nafiu Abubakar, issued a statement on Wednesday confirming the statewide exercise is in line with the directive from the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun. This deadline follows at least three extensions granted by the Nigeria Police Force to allow motorists more time to comply with the new regulation.

Motorists were reminded that the online application for the permit remains open through the official portal. The digital process requires applicants to verify their identity using their National Identification Number (NIN), Bank Verification Number (BVN), or Tax Identification Number (TIN). The process mandates creating an account, verifying details, providing vehicle information, uploading necessary documents, making the required payment, and completing a biometric capture.

For Kebbi State applicants, the final steps of biometric capturing and vehicle inspection are scheduled to take place at the State Intelligence Department, Gwadangaji, in Birnin Kebbi. Abubakar stressed that the biometric capture is free of charge and cautioned the public against using unauthorised agents.

“The command calls on members of the public to comply with this directive and avoid patronising unauthorized individuals who may attempt to exploit the process,” he stated, assuring that the enforcement aims to promote transparency, accountability, and public safety on the roads.

The directive, however, faces significant opposition from the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), which has filed a suit against the police to halt the enforcement. The NBA, through its Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL), is challenging the legality of the policy at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The association alleges corruption in the process and fundamentally questions its legal foundation, noting that the policy appears to rely on the Motor Tinted Glass (Prohibition) Act, a 1991 military decree, which the NBA argues “may not meet the constitutional standard of being reasonably justifiable in a democratic society.”

Furthermore, the NBA has raised concerns about transparency, including reports that fees for the permits are being paid into a private account rather than the Federation Account or the Treasury Single Account. The Bar Association has urged the police to suspend enforcement of the policy while the suit awaits a judicial pronouncement. The police, in turn, have defended the policy, citing Section 2(3a) of the same Act as empowerment for the Inspector-General of Police to approve permits, arguing that the regulation is essential for crime prevention, including curbing kidnapping and armed robbery.