A Delta State High Court has ordered a temporary halt to the enforcement of the motor vehicle tinted glass permit policy scheduled to begin on January 2, 2026.
The directive was contained in an enrolment of order issued by the High Court of Justice, Orerokpe Judicial Division, in suit number HOR/FHR/M/31/2025.
The ruling was delivered on December 17, 2025, by Justice Joe Egwu, following an ex parte application filed by Mr. Israel Joe against the Inspector General of Police, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command.
What the court is saying
The court restrained the Inspector General of Police and the Nigeria Police Force from enforcing the tinted glass permit policy.
The order applies to all officers, agents, and persons acting on behalf of the Force. Enforcement cannot continue until the substantive suit is determined.
The court also barred the Police from harassing, arresting, detaining, or interfering with motorists, emphasizing that such actions could violate citizens’ constitutional rights to dignity, privacy, freedom of movement, and property.
Justice Joe Egwu further restricted the Police from using a private contractor’s account, identified as the Parkway Projects account, for government-related transactions linked to the policy. The court also approved substituted service through the Delta State Police Command Headquarters in Asaba, deeming it valid.
One of the key directives in the enrolment order reads:
“AN ORDER OF INTERIM INJUNCTION restraining the 1st and 2nd Respondents… from implementing/enforcing and/or further implementing/enforcing the tinted glass permit policy set to commence on the 2nd of January, 2026 pending the hearing and determination of the substantive application filed in the suit.”
The motion on notice was fixed for hearing on December 24, 2025.
Backstory
The tinted glass permit policy, first introduced in April 2025, has faced delays and temporary suspensions due to public criticism and legal challenges. The Police had planned to resume enforcement on January 2, 2026.
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) had challenged the policy, calling it illegal and unconstitutional, warning it could increase extortion and harassment on roads, and questioning the Police’s authority to impose fees on motorists.
The Police, however, argued that the policy is necessary for public safety, citing increased use of vehicles with unauthorised tinted glass in crimes such as kidnapping and armed robbery. Enforcement, they said, would close gaps exploited by criminals.
On December 16, 2025, the Police clarified that the January 2 date was for planning and public awareness and did not override any court process.
The Police maintained that only a final court decision could stop enforcement—until the Orerokpe High Court issued its interim order.
