The Federal High Court (FHC) sitting in Warri has ordered the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to maintain the status quo and respect ongoing judicial processes in the high-profile tinted glass permit suit, John Aikpokopo-Martins v. Inspector General of Police & 2 Ors (Suit No. FHC/WR/CS/103/2025).
The development comes after an embarrassing incident in Asaba, Delta State, last Thursday, when police officers impounded the official vehicle of Hon. Justice O. A. Ogunbowale of the National Industrial Court (NIC) while enforcing the controversial tinted glass permit policy.
The incident coincided with the NPF’s nationwide clampdown on vehicles with tinted glasses lacking permits—a policy the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), through its Section on Public Interest and Development Law (SPIDEL), had sought to challenge in court.
Recall that, NBA-SPIDEL, led by Mr. Kunle Edun, SAN, filed a suit contesting the legality of the renewed enforcement drive. The association requested an interim injunction via an Ex Parte motion before a Federal High Court vacation judge in Abuja. Counsel argued that, with the matter already sub judice, enforcement should be suspended pending judicial determination. However, the vacation judge declined the motion, stating that his mandate was limited to delivering pending rulings and could not entertain fresh applications.
The refusal proved consequential when enforcement officers under AIG Zone 5 impounded Justice Ogunbowale’s vehicle, triggering widespread criticism from legal circles. Observers described the incident as an “avoidable humiliation” for the judiciary, noting that a timely interim order could have spared a sitting judge from becoming an unintended target of the enforcement drive.
“This is a clear reminder that judges should not shy away from urgent intervention when public interest is at stake,” remarked one legal expert, emphasizing that procedural technicalities should not overshadow judicial responsibility.
In response, the police have urged motorists with tinted glasses to register their vehicles on www.possap.gov.ng and proceed to the State Intelligence Department (SID) at the state command headquarters in Enugu for physical verification. Motorists unwilling to obtain permits were advised to remove tints or replace them with transparent glass as mandated by law.
The command also reiterated its enforcement of regulations regarding unauthorized sirens, revolving lights, unallocated official plates, and unregistered vehicles.
