The Police Force’s Tinted Glass Enforcement: A Desperate and Unjust Move
The Nigeria Police Force has announced January 2, 2026, as the new date for enforcing tinted glass regulations on vehicles. This decision has sparked widespread criticism, with many viewing it as a desperate attempt to divert attention from more pressing issues. Motorists are already dealing with numerous challenges, including economic instability, rising inflation, and security threats. Adding this enforcement to the mix is seen as unnecessary and potentially dangerous.
Kayode Egbetokun, the Inspector-General of Police, should reconsider this move. The enforcement of these regulations is not about safety; it appears to be more about control and generating revenue. The policy overlooks real crime patterns and places an additional burden on an already strained populace.
The initial enforcement was scheduled for June 1, 2025, but it was postponed to October 2 after public backlash. The new date follows a court order that mandates all parties to maintain the status quo until a final judicial determination is made. This raises questions about whether this is just another example of police overreach, extortion, and incompetence.
The enforcement of tinted glass regulations seems to be based on outdated reasoning. Benjamin Hundeyin, the Force Public Relations Officer, claims there is a surge in crimes linked to tinted glass vehicles, citing an incident in Edo State where a driver allegedly sped off from a checkpoint, leading to a chaotic chase and the death of a police officer. However, this claim lacks empirical data to support it.
In the 21st century, effective policing should focus on prevention rather than reactionary measures like high-speed pursuits that endanger everyone involved. Modern tools such as surveillance cameras, drones, and automated license plate recognition systems could be used to address such incidents without putting lives at risk.
Tinted glasses are common in countries like Israel, where manual checks are rare due to the use of technology. Egbetokun should consider adopting similar strategies. The NPF’s insistence on archaic methods suggests a reluctance to evolve and invest in technology that could monitor roads proactively.
Instead of focusing on peering into cars, the police should address more significant issues. Nigerian roads are riddled with checkpoints that function more as toll booths than security outposts. Motorists are routinely harassed for bribes under spurious pretexts. With the addition of tinted glass enforcement, the police have another opportunity to turn the screws on hapless motorists.
Officers, emboldened by vague guidelines, could order any vehicle they fancy to park, demand permits, and pocket “fines” on the spot. This could lead to arguments, injuries, or even fatal shootouts. Nigerians have seen innocent lives lost to checkpoint shootings because the force prioritises power over prudence.
Egbetokun’s police force seems to cling to colonial-era tactics while the world moves on to data-driven, community-oriented strategies. So, the IG should call off the tinted glass enforcement.
Among the sundry extortionate demands of the police is the requirement that vehicle owners renew proof of ownership annually. Nigerians are reeling from the effects of fuel subsidies removed since 2023, skyrocketing electricity tariffs, and inflation. Yet the police want to pile more pressure on citizens in the name of fighting crime.
The tinted glass permit order looks suspicious. Motorists are expected to obtain one for a fee of N14,200, payable into a specialised account. This is wrong. The PUNCH Editorial Board insists that the police are not a revenue-generating agency and so cannot be collecting money from the public.
This is against the spirit of President Bola Tinubu’s tax reforms, which aim to eliminate multiple taxation and ease the burden on suffering citizens. And why harass car owners who have already cleared their vehicles through customs at the port of entry, paying all requisite duties? This smacks of a classic NPF manoeuvre to cause chaos rather than protect the public.
The permit system is a farce when it comes to crime prevention. Anyone—criminal or not—can apply for and obtain one. A kidnapper with a permit is still a kidnapper, while a tinted window does not magically turn a law-abiding citizen into a criminal.
Likewise, kidnappers, insurgents, and bandits can carry a valid driving licence. If the goal is to curb crime, why not target the root causes instead of creating another revenue stream?
The police seem to forget their job is to deter crime. Egbetokun and his officers should be reminded that factory-fitted tinted glasses are not without their benefits. They reportedly block up to 99 per cent of harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun, shielding passengers from skin cancer and eye damage. They also cool the vehicle’s interior, reducing reliance on air conditioning, thereby enhancing fuel efficiency in a country where petrol prices fluctuate wildly.
Tinted glasses also deter car burglaries by obscuring the view of valuables inside. In Nigeria’s sweltering climate, where temperatures often soar above 35°C, these features aren’t luxuries; they are necessities for health and comfort.
If there is anyone the police should pursue, it is car owners who paste cheap nylon films on windows post-purchase. But no, the NPF prefers to ensnare everyone to maximize opportunities for their legendary appetite for graft.
Reputable bodies like Transparency International and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime rank the Nigerian police low in terms of good conduct. A 2019 TI report revealed that 59 per cent of respondents perceived the police as the most corrupt institution in Nigeria, outpacing even the judiciary and legislature.
Similarly, a 2017 UNODC survey found that in 54 out of every 100 interactions with the police, a bribe was paid. These are systemic indictments. Officers extort at checkpoints, fabricate charges, and even collude with criminals for a cut.
These are the real demons that need exorcising, not the innocent motorists cruising in tinted glass vehicles. By fixating on the mundane, the NPF distracts from its own rot, allowing true threats to fester.
In Zamfara State, the epicentre of banditry in northern Nigeria, Bello Turji, a notorious bandit leader, roams freely, orchestrating killings and kidnappings with impunity. Does he rely on tinted SUVs to evade capture? He operates in the open, often on motorcycles or in convoys that make no effort to hide.
In the first half of 2025 alone, 2,266 people were reportedly killed by bandits and insurgents across Nigeria, particularly in the North, surpassing the total killings recorded throughout 2024, according to the National Human Rights Commission. How many of these atrocities were linked to tinted glass vehicles?
In June, over 150 people were slaughtered in Yelwata, Benue State, by Fulani herdsmen. Were there any ties to obscured windows? These examples underscore the absurdity of the police’s focus. While bandits terrorise communities unchecked, the NPF busies itself with harassing motorists.
Egbetokun should heed the writing on the wall and abandon this ill-conceived campaign. Instead, he ought to ramp up efforts in modern policing—deploying AI-powered analytics, community partnerships, and intelligence-led operations that have proven effective elsewhere.
Egbetokun should prioritise Tinubu’s directive to withdraw police from VIPs.
