Mr Okechukwu Nwanguma, Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), has criticised the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) over its recent defence of the Motor Vehicle Tinted Glass Permit Policy, describing the Police’s response as dismissive of judicial restraint, civic criticism and public accountability.
According to Nwanguma, the controversy surrounding the policy is not about the existence of the Motor Vehicles (Prohibition of Tinted Glass) Act, 2004, or the statutory powers of the Inspector-General of Police, but about how the law is exercised, enforced and communicated in a constitutional democracy.
He said respect for the rule of law goes beyond the mere citation of statutes, stressing that once matters relating to the policy are before courts of competent jurisdiction, including Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1821/2025 prudence demands institutional restraint.
He warned that public threats of enforcement and dismissive rhetoric toward critics risk undermining public confidence and conveying impatience with judicial oversight.
Nwanguma also faulted the language used by the Force Public Relations Officer, describing references to “ignorant and mischievous claims” and accusations of seeking “limelight and fame” as unbecoming of a national law enforcement agency. He said such rhetoric weakens police legitimacy and contradicts democratic policing principles.
The RULAAC director noted that public distrust of the tinted glass permit system stems from Nigeria’s long history of abusive traffic enforcement, widespread extortion at checkpoints, poor transparency in the management of fees collected under police-linked schemes, and weak internal accountability mechanisms. He argued that dismissing public concerns as ignorance ignores deep-rooted trust deficits.
While acknowledging genuine security concerns, Nwanguma cautioned against blanket enforcement approaches that could become avenues for harassment of motorists. He maintained that crimes such as kidnapping and violent offences are better addressed through intelligence-led policing, surveillance and officer accountability rather than roadside enforcement of tinted glass regulations.
He added that the Police’s earlier suspension of enforcement, which the NPF described as an act of courtesy, does not cure the structural problems associated with the policy. According to him, Nigerians expect clarity, legality and safeguards against abuse, not discretionary roadblock enforcement that predictably fuels extortion.
Nwanguma emphasised that institutional accountability is not hostile, noting that civil society organisations, the Nigerian Bar Association and concerned citizens have a constitutionally protected role in scrutinising state power.
He urged the Nigeria Police Force to tone down confrontational rhetoric, respect ongoing judicial processes, engage critics with facts rather than insinuations, and confront the well-documented history of abuse linked to traffic-related regulations.
“Policing in a democracy is not measured by how forcefully laws are asserted, but by how responsibly power is exercised,” Nwanguma said, adding that Nigerians deserve a Police Force that is firm against crime but humble before the Constitution, the courts and the people it serves.
