The Nigerian Bar Association has warned the Nigeria Police Force against resuming enforcement of the tinted glass permit policy while the matter remains before a court.
The association said it would not hesitate to initiate committal proceedings against the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, for contempt of court.
The NBA also vowed to commence disciplinary proceedings against any lawyer found to have misled the court in the pending suit.
The warning followed a statement issued on December 15 by Hundeyin, announcing that enforcement of the suspended tinted glass permit policy would resume nationwide from January 2, 2026.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, the NBA President, Mr Afam Osigwe, SAN, described the police announcement as a flagrant disregard for the rule of law and due process.
Osigwe said the statement amounted to “executive recklessness” and portrayed the police leadership as lacking respect for the authority of the court.
He recalled that the initial enforcement of the policy in June was marked by alleged harassment, extortion and rights violations, particularly against young Nigerians, prompting the NBA to institute legal action against the police.
According to him, at the hearing of Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1821/2025 on December 12, Justice M. S. Liman of the Federal High Court, Abuja, was informed that the NBA and the IGP had agreed to suspend enforcement of the policy.
Osigwe said the court relied on the undertaking given by the defendants’ counsel, Chief Ayotunde Ogunleye, SAN, and struck out the motion for interlocutory injunction.
“It is deeply disturbing that barely one working day after the court relied on that undertaking, a contradictory statement emerged announcing a reactivation of enforcement,” he said.
He described the move as a contemptuous disregard for the authority of the court and an assault on institutional integrity.
Osigwe noted that the suit had been fully heard and judgment reserved, stressing that the IGP was constitutionally bound to refrain from actions capable of undermining the court’s decision.
He called on the police chief to immediately withdraw the statement and halt all plans to resume enforcement pending the determination of the case.
The NBA president directed all branches of the association and its Human Rights Committee to provide legal support to any citizen harassed, arrested or prosecuted under the policy.
He warned that failure by the IGP to comply would leave the NBA with no option but to commence contempt proceedings against him and the police spokesperson.
Osigwe said the undertaking given in open court was binding, citing the Supreme Court decision in Governor of Lagos State v. Ojukwu as settled law on respect for judicial authority.
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