- To align with national security, public interest
The Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL) and the Nigeria Police Force have agreed to undertake a comprehensive review of the tinted permit policy to ensure that its enforcement aligns with public interest and national security imperatives.
Chairman of NBA-SPIDEL, Professor Paul Ananaba (SAN), disclosed this in Lagos during an interactive session anchored by Mr. Wale Ogunade, held as part of activities ahead of the SPIDEL 2025 Conference.
Ananaba said the decision followed weeks of deliberation between the association and senior police authorities after widespread complaints by motorists over harassment and arbitrary vehicle impoundments by law enforcement officers enforcing the tinted permit directive.
He explained that the association’s intervention became necessary in response to growing public outrage over the indiscriminate arrest of motorists whose vehicles did not have completely transparent windows.
“Following our discussions with senior police officers, we agreed that the enforcement of the tinted permit should be suspended while a joint review committee is constituted,” he said.
According to him, the committee, which will comprise representatives of both NBA-SPIDEL and the Nigeria Police Force, will examine the legal, regulatory, and security dimensions of the policy and recommend new modalities that strike a balance between citizens’ rights and public safety.
Ananaba stressed that SPIDEL’s engagement with the police was not adversarial but aimed at promoting fairness, accountability, and the rule of law within the nation’s law enforcement framework.
He noted that the association had also instituted a legal action against the police over alleged discriminatory practices, adding that such steps were consistent with SPIDEL’s mandate to defend public interest and uphold constitutional principles.
“SPIDEL is not a body of activists; our focus is public interest and development,” he stated, reaffirming the section’s commitment to constructive dialogue with public institutions to drive reform.
The senior advocate also announced that the SPIDEL 2025 Conference would hold in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on December 5, 2025, and would focus on reforms in justice administration, governance, and international collaboration to advance human rights and public accountability.