Police
By Olayiwola Mercy
A Delta State High Court has slapped an interim injunction on the Nigeria Police Force, stopping them from rolling out the tinted‑glass permit policy that was supposed to kick in on January 2 2026 . The order, handed down on December 17, 2025, effectively puts the brakes on any enforcement actions the police had announced for the new year.
The injunction is pretty sweeping – it bars the Inspector‑General of Police, the NPF and all their officers, agents and contractors from implementing, enforcing, or even threatening to enforce the permit scheme. It also restrains them from stopping, harassing, arresting, detaining or extorting motorists under the guise of the policy . In short, the police have to sit tight until the court decides the substantive case.
The tinted‑glass permit rule was introduced by the IGP back in April 2025, requiring vehicle owners to get an annual permit through an online portal. After a few postponements – first to June 1 and then to October 2 – the policy sparked a wave of criticism, with the Nigerian Bar Association calling it an unconstitutional revenue‑generating scheme . Human‑rights groups also flagged reports of extortion and civil‑rights violations, especially among young drivers.
The legal challenge was filed by a private citizen, Israel Joe, who was represented by Senior Advocate Kunle Edun. Justice Joe Egwu granted the ex‑parte motion on December 17, 2025, and set the hearing of the motion on notice for December 24, 2025 . The court also ordered substituted service on the police through the Delta State Police Command headquarters in Asaba.
Adding another layer, the injunction also stops the police from using a private “Parkway Projects Account” for any government business related to the permit scheme ¹. This mirrors an earlier Federal High Court order from October 3, 2025 in Warri, which had already restrained the police from enforcing the same policy.
So, for now the permit policy is on hold, and the courts will have to sort out whether it’s lawful and constitutional. Until then, motorists can breathe a sigh of relief, and the police will have to keep their hands off the tinted‑glass issue.
