I’d ban tinted vehicles nationwide if given the power- IGP Disu

Olatunji Disu, the inspector-general of police, has expressed support for a nationwide ban on fully tinted vehicles, arguing that such vehicles pose significant security challenges and are frequently exploited by criminal elements.

Disu made the remark in Abuja while responding to concerns raised by Afam Osigwe (SAN), the president of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe (SAN), over the administration of tinted glass permits.

The NBA president had maintained that while the association supports police regulation of tinted glass permits, the process should not be commercialised or converted into a revenue-generating venture. He also questioned the need for periodic renewal of permits, arguing that once vehicle details are properly captured in a database, repeated renewals become unnecessary.

Osigwe further opposed the involvement of private firms in the collection of permit fees on behalf of the police, though he stressed that the association supports enforcement measures against vehicles whose tinted windows completely conceal occupants from security operatives.

Responding, the police chief said the country’s current security realities require stricter controls on the use of tinted vehicles.

According to him, if the decision rested solely with him, no vehicle in Nigeria would be allowed to operate with tinted windows.

Disu said investigations conducted during his tenure as Commissioner of Police in the Federal Capital Territory revealed that many vehicles used by “one-chance” criminal syndicates were heavily tinted.

He recalled that a large number of vehicles recovered from such operations had darkened windows, making it difficult for security agencies to identify occupants and respond effectively to threats.

The IGP also criticised the growing trend of excessively tinted windscreens and rear windows, describing it as dangerous and incompatible with effective security operations.

He noted that heavily tinted vehicles hinder stop-and-search operations and expose law enforcement personnel to unnecessary risks because officers cannot clearly see who is inside the vehicle.

Disu emphasised that only individuals with legitimate security or medical reasons are entitled to use tinted glass and warned that such exemptions should not extend to extreme levels of tinting that obstruct visibility.

He disclosed that the police would soon intensify enforcement against illegally tinted vehicles across the country.