BY OUR CORRESPONDENT, ASABA
ASABA, Nigeria – A Delta State High Court has issued an ex parte injunction restraining the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) from implementing or enforcing its controversial tinted glass permit policy across the federation.
The order, granted by presiding Judge Joe Egwu on Wednesday, effectively puts a hold on police plans to resume enforcement of the permit, pending the hearing and determination of a substantive suit filed by human rights activist Israel Joe.
In the suit filed against the Inspector-General of Police, the NPF, and the Delta State Police Commissioner, the applicant sought the court’s intervention to protect the fundamental rights of Nigerian motorists.
The court documents state that the applicant requested an order restraining the defendants and their officers from “stopping, harassing, arresting, detaining, extorting or otherwise interfering with the constitutional rights to dignity, privacy, freedom of movement and ownership of property” under the guise of enforcing the permit policy.
Furthermore, the injunction addresses concerns regarding the transparency of the process.
The court has restrained the use of the PARKWAY PROJECTS Account—a private contractor’s account—for government business related to the policy, pending the resolution of the suit.
The ruling comes on the heels of a sharp disagreement between the police and the legal community.
The NPF recently announced that enforcement of the permit policy would resume on January 2, 2026, citing the need to curb a spike in vehicle-related crimes.
However, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has hit back, accusing the police hierarchy of “executive recklessness.” The NBA maintains that the police’s insistence on enforcement despite pending litigation demonstrates a blatant “lack of respect for the court, the rule of law, and due process.”
The Nigeria Police Force has remained defiant, arguing that no court order has declared the policy itself unlawful or issued a permanent restraint against the force from performing its statutory duties.
With the High Court now setting December 24 for the motion on notice, the legal battle over the privacy of motorists versus the security mandates of the state is set for a high-stakes showdown on Christmas Eve.
