The Nigerian legal community has expressed outrage after police officers impounded the official vehicle of a sitting judge during the controversial enforcement of the tinted glass permit policy.
The incident, which occurred in Asaba, on Thursday, has been described by the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, as an “avoidable humiliation” that underscored the dangers of the police action.
The judge involved was Hon. Justice O. A. Ogunbowale of the National Industrial Court. According to eyewitness accounts, his vehicle was seized by officers enforcing the renewed nationwide clampdown on motorists driving cars with tinted glass without a police-issued permit.
The clampdown began the same day, marking the latest revival of a controversial policy that has long attracted criticism from lawyers, civil rights groups, and motorists.
The NBA, through its Section on Public Interest and Development Law , had attempted to forestall such incidents earlier in the day by seeking an interim injunction from the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The association argued that the matter was already sub judice, as it had filed a suit challenging the legality and constitutionality of the tinted permit regime.
However, the motion for an injunction was not heard. The vacation judge explained that October 2 was his last day in office and that his mandate was limited to delivering pending rulings, not hearing fresh applications.
This procedural obstacle left the NBA without the relief it sought, paving the way for the clampdown to proceed as scheduled.
The result was what many have called an ironic twist of fate: within hours of the court’s refusal to intervene, a member of the judiciary became one of the first high-profile victims of the enforcement exercise.
ALSO READ: NBA slams police over tinted glass enforcement
The NBA, reacting swiftly, condemned the impoundment of Justice Ogunbowale’s vehicle as a national embarrassment.
“The humiliation of a serving judge was both unnecessary and preventable,” said Olumide Edun (SAN), chairman of the NBA’s Public Interest Litigation Committee.
He stressed that the enforcement was “illegal” given the pending suit, warning that the police had acted in bad faith.
The tinted glass policy traces back to the Motor Vehicles (Prohibition of Tinted Glass) Decree of 1991. Successive police administrations have implemented, suspended, or altered the permit regime, citing security concerns.
Critics argue that the law is outdated and incompatible with modern vehicles, many of which come with factory-installed tinted windows.
In recent years, the policy has been accused of enabling extortion, with motorists alleging harassment at checkpoints.
The NBA maintains that the police lack constitutional authority to impose fees or annual renewals, warning that the scheme risks turning the force into a revenue-generating agency rather than a crime-fighting body.
The impoundment of Justice Ogunbowale’s car has reignited calls for the judiciary to act decisively. Legal commentators noted the irony that a judge fell victim to a policy another judge declined to suspend.
SPIDEL has vowed to pursue the case in court, while the wider legal community has urged the judiciary to assert its authority in matters of urgent public interest.
As enforcement continues, public debate over the fairness, legality, and necessity of the tinted glass permit regime is likely to intensify, with many waiting to see how the courts will ultimately rule.
The Nigerian Lawyer
