THE FEDERAL Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has commenced a fresh enforcement operation targeting vehicles with alleged illegal tinted windows, concealed number plates, and improper registration documentation.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Mr Ahmed Sanusi, said the exercise was necessitated by the increasing use of such vehicles in criminal activities, including kidnappings, “one-chance” robberies, and other violent crimes across the territory.
According to him, intelligence reports indicate that criminal elements frequently exploit heavily tinted vehicles, covered number plates, and unregistered automobiles to conceal their identities and evade law-enforcement agencies.
He stated that the operation is intended to improve public safety and is not directed at motorists who possess valid authorisation for the use of tinted windows.
“This exercise is not intended to inconvenience law-abiding citizens who have legitimately acquired approval to use tints on their vehicles. It is to deny criminals the cover they exploit to perpetrate crimes against innocent citizens and residents of the FCT,” Sanusi said.
The police commissioner disclosed that more than 30 vehicles had already been impounded since the commencement of the operation for offences ranging from illegal tinting and obscured number plates to lack of proper vehicle registration.
He added that offenders would be prosecuted under applicable federal laws and the FCT Road Transport Regulations 2023.
Sanusi reiterated the command’s commitment to intelligence-led policing and urged residents to cooperate with security agencies by reporting suspicious activities.
Litigation Over Tinted-Glass Enforcement
The renewed enforcement campaign comes against the backdrop of prolonged legal disputes over Police attempt to resume nationwide enforcement of tinted-glass permit requirements.
In 2025, the police reintroduced the tinted-glass permit regime through its digital Police Specialised Services Automation Project (POSSAP), citing the Motor Vehicles (Prohibition of Tinted Glass) Act and growing security concerns.
The policy immediately attracted criticism from lawyers, civil-rights advocates and motorists, who argued that it created opportunities for arbitrary arrests and extortion.
The controversy culminated in a suit filed at the Federal High Court, Warri, by a lawyer, John Aikpokpo-Martins, who challenged the legality of the renewed enforcement.
On October 3, 2025, the court issued an interim order directing the Nigeria Police Force and the Inspector-General of Police to maintain the status quo and suspend enforcement actions pending the determination of the substantive suit.
Following the ruling, police authorities initially stated that they had not been formally served with the order, although they acknowledged the existence of the proceedings.
Subsequently, the Nigeria Police Force announced in January 2026 that it had suspended nationwide enforcement of the tinted-glass permit policy in compliance with a court order while pursuing legal remedies against the interim injunction.
Has the Court Order Been Overtaken?
The legal position became more complicated in March 2026 when the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed a separate suit instituted by the Nigerian Bar Association challenging the legality of the tinted-glass permit regime.
Justice Suleman Liman reportedly held that the use of tinted glass is not a constitutionally guaranteed right and that the police possess statutory authority to regulate it in the interest of public safety.
However, that judgment did not necessarily determine the separate Warri case filed by Aikpokpo-Martins, unless the latter suit has since been concluded or the interim order has been formally discharged by the court.
Available public reports indicate that the Warri proceedings and the interim order were distinct from the NBA litigation.
Is the Current FCT Enforcement a Violation of a Subsisting Court Order?
Based on publicly available information, there is no definitive evidence that the FCT Police Command’s current operation is automatically in violation of a subsisting court order. The answer depends on the precise scope and current status of the Warri Federal High Court order.
If the interim order restraining enforcement of the tinted-glass permit policy remains valid and has not been vacated or overtaken by subsequent judicial proceedings, any enforcement specifically tied to the permit regime could raise legal questions regarding compliance with the court’s directive.
Conversely, if the current FCT operation is focused on vehicles with unlawfully concealed number plates, unregistered vehicles, or tinted windows that fall outside recognised legal exemptions, the police may argue that the exercise is based on broader traffic and security regulations rather than solely on the disputed permit scheme.
Until the courts finally determine the pending issues or clarify the status of earlier restraining orders, the legality of renewed enforcement actions is likely to remain a subject of legal and public debate.
