Tunji Disu, the inspector-general of police (IGP), says he would ban all tinted vehicles across Nigeria if he had the power to do so.
Disu spoke in Abuja on Tuesday while responding to concerns
raised by Afam Osigwe, president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), about
the renewal and commercialisation of tinted glass permits.
“I have a different view about it entirely. We have a
security situation in the country now,” Disu said.
“If I have my way, there would be no vehicle that would be
tinted in the country. And we are moving towards it.”
The IGP said tinted vehicles are often used by kidnappers,
armed robbers and operators of “one-chance” scams, making them a security risk.
Disu said the country’s security challenges require stricter
controls on tinted vehicles.
The IGP recalled that when he served as commissioner of
police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), investigations showed that many
vehicles used by “one-chance” gangs were fully tinted.
According to him, many of the 27 vehicles recovered from
such criminal groups had dark windows, which he said highlighted the link
between tinted vehicles and crime.
Disu also criticised the growing use of very dark tints on
windscreens and rear windows, describing the trend as dangerous.
He said heavily tinted vehicles make it difficult for
security officers to identify occupants during stop-and-search operations,
putting operatives at risk.
The IGP said only people with genuine security or medical
reasons are allowed by law to use tinted glass, and even then, the tint should
not completely block visibility.
He added that the police would soon step up enforcement
against illegally tinted vehicles across the country.
Earlier, Osigwe said the NBA had no problem with the police
regulating tinted glass permits but noted that the process should not be used
to generate revenue.
He also questioned why vehicle owners should renew the
permits regularly, saying that once vehicle details are stored in a database,
there should be no need for repeated renewals.
Osigwe said the police should not hand over the permit
process to private companies that collect fees on their behalf.
He added that the NBA supports action against vehicles with
tints that completely hide occupants from security officers.
Last December, the NBA criticised the Nigeria Police Force
(NPF) for reactivating enforcement of the suspended tinted glass permit policy.
The police had earlier announced that enforcement of the
policy would resume on January 2, 2026, citing an increase in vehicle-related
crimes.
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