The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has clarified that devoid of any misconceptions, the going issuance of tinted glass permits by the force is legal.
NPF said the clarification was necessary to set the records straight to avoid misinformation that may arise from the report publish in a national daily insinuating that the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, was dragged to court by the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) over tinted-glass permit policy.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, the Police explained that Section 2(3a) of the Motor Vehicles (Prohibition of Tinted Glass) Act, 2004 empowers the Inspector-General of Police or any person duly authorised by him to grant or approve the permit.
Furthermore, it said that Section 1(2) of the same Act provides that an applicant must show good cause either on health grounds or for security reasons before the use of tinted glass can be approved.
The Force noted that the essence of the regulation was consistent with the core mandate of the Police to prevent crimes, as the permit is a critical tool for curbing violent crimes such as kidnapping, armed robbery, terrorism, and one chance operations.
In the same vein, it clarified that the charges attached to the acquisition of the permit are purely processing fee and for the maintenance of the digital infrastructure deployed for this service.
“This is well within the law as provided for under Section 26(e) and (f) of the Nigeria Police Act, 2020, which empowers the Police to render specialised services to the public at a fee.
“It is worthy to put on record that the Force has recorded commendable and significant successes with the Electronic Central Motor Registry (e-CMR), through which numerous stolen vehicles have been traced and recovered across the country, a feat made possible by the modernised police specialised services in line with global best practices.
“The Nigeria Police wishes to unequivocally assure the public that the alleged claims by individuals and groups that the tinted permit policy is not legal, transparent and constitutionally valid are not only untrue and misleading but also a calculated attempt to cast aspersions on the image, integrity, and lawful operations of the Force,” the statement said.
While reiterating the IGP’s unflinching commitment to upholding the rule of law and safeguarding the fundamental rights of all Nigerians, the Force reassured the public of its steadfast dedication to professionalism, the relentless pursuit of a safer and more secure nation for all and above all, transparency.
