The Motor Vehicle (Prohibition of Tinted Glass) Act 1991 is currently the enabling Law that empowers the Nigeria Police to prosecute anyone culpable, in the ongoing tint permit dilemma.

I recall back in 2006/07 as a student, the Federal High way patrol cops would harass us then with this same issue of “tint permit” leaving people asking and wondering what the heck is a tint permit. None of these patrol officers would point out the medium and process through which it can be obtained to douse the doubts about it; rather it became an avenue for personal “egunje” generation.

Sometime in 2011,the then Inspector General of Police, came out in the open, on the main road leading to Louis Edet House and had his tint removed, indicating a war against the use of tinted glasses. That was the same day I removed mine, to save myself the embarrassment and rhetorical questions of the police, sent to hunt out anyone without a permit.
I recall some areas like silver bird entrance at central area and under zone 6 and area 1 bridge as spots for tearing up tinted glasses of motorists.

Two years back, or so soon thereafter, a procedure was made explicit for obtaining a valid tint permit, after a lot of people had visited Police stations and various area commands to obtain some contents typed on the Nigeria Police letter head to serve as a tint permit.
However what really isn’t clear about the tint permit is the clause “TINTED PERMIT IS ISSUED TO MOTOR VEHICLE(S) WITH FACTORY FITTED TINTED GLASS ONLY”. This clause is my opinion is a fraudulent time bomb. And they made all and sundry understand that it is free, although a lot have had their trials and tribulations to speak about, hence the thread created yesterday by a Nairalander and lots of complaints registered as well.

A time would come probably, when the Police flag you down and ask for your tint permit, of your car which is not a factory fitted one, but self installed and you confidently flaunt your laminated permit at their faces. That is when they will point to the above caveat, and you will be in for it. Its either you part with the usual money to save yourself the harassment, talk your way out, have them removed instantaneously or be prosecuted.