Nigeria Police Force Clarifies Stance on Tinted Vehicle Windows

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has reaffirmed that the use of tinted windows on vehicles remains illegal, despite previous reports suggesting otherwise.

Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, issued the statement on Saturday in response to a query on social media, emphasizing that there is a law prohibiting the use of tint on vehicles. He clarified that while the police had suspended the enforcement of the ban, this was due to a pause in the issuance of tint permits

There is a ban on it. It’s even a legal matter because there is a law on it. The police only suspended the enforcement of the law because we had suspended the issuance of the tint permit,” Adejobi stated. He further explained that the police may exercise discretion in certain cases, particularly to investigate whether a vehicle with tinted windows is being used for criminal activities. He also noted that the practice had been widely abused in the past.

Adejobi’s statement, however, appears to contradict a decision made earlier this year. In February 2024, the NPF had lifted the ban on tinted vehicle windows, a move that had sparked confusion among the public. At the time, Adejobi had announced that the lifting of the ban came after concerns about tinted windows aiding in criminal activities, including kidnapping, armed robbery, and the illegal transportation of firearms.

While the exact status of the ban remains unclear, it seems that the police are now focusing on regulating the use of tint permits more strictly, allowing discretion in cases where vehicles may be used for illicit purposes.