NEWS
Delta High Court Halts Police Tinted Glass Permit Enforcement Nationwide, Cites Threat to Fundamental Rights
A Delta State High Court sitting in Orerokpe has issued an interim injunction restraining the Nigeria Police Force from implementing or enforcing its tinted glass permit policy, which was scheduled to take effect on January 2, 2026.
The landmark ruling was delivered on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, by Justice Joe Egwu, following a fundamental rights enforcement suit instituted by Mr. Israel Joe against the Inspector General of Police, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Commissioner of Police, Delta State.
In granting all the reliefs sought by the applicant in Suit No: HOR/FHR/M/31/2025, the court ordered an immediate suspension of the tinted glass permit policy pending the determination of the substantive application before it. The ruling effectively places a legal barrier on the police from taking any step toward implementing or further enforcing the policy across the state.
Justice Egwu expressly restrained the respondents from stopping, harassing, arresting, intimidating, or extorting motorists and other citizens under the pretext of enforcing the tinted glass permit policy. The court held that such actions constitute a clear interference with constitutionally guaranteed rights, including the rights to dignity of the human person, privacy, freedom of movement, and ownership of property.
In a further directive, the court barred the respondents from using the Parkway Projects account, identified in the suit as a private account, for the conduct of government business, describing such an arrangement as unlawful and improper.
The applicant was represented by a legal team led by Kunle Edun, SAN. Although the first and second respondents were absent during the proceedings, the court granted an order for substituted service, directing that court processes be served through the Commissioner of Police in Asaba.
The interim orders were formally enrolled and sealed on December 17, 2025.
Justice Egwu has fixed December 24, 2025, for the hearing of the motion on notice, at which time the substantive issues surrounding the legality and constitutionality of the tinted glass permit policy will be fully argued and determined.
The ruling is expected to generate nationwide attention, as it temporarily stalls a policy that had sparked widespread public concern and debate over its implications for civil liberties and police-citizen relations.