08/19/2025
Title: The Tinted Glass Permit – Policing or Revenue Collection?
The Nigerian Police is at it again. The tinted glass permit drama has returned — a policy we’ve seen before, each time leaving behind stories of harassment, extortion, and frustration.
Let’s be clear: most cars in Nigeria come factory-fitted with tinted windows. Yet, instead of focusing on real criminals, our police choose to stop ordinary Nigerians on the highway, treating us as suspects in our own country.
They say it’s about “security.” But is it really? We know what happens at checkpoints — intimidation, endless demands for “settlement,” and humiliation of law-abiding citizens. If tinted glass were truly a national threat, the solution would be intelligence-driven policing, not roadside bargaining.
And then comes the ₦16,000 annual fee. With millions of vehicles on Nigerian roads, this is not about safety — it’s about money. In an economy already gasping for breath, this feels like another way to squeeze citizens dry. Call it what it is: revenue collection in the name of security.
Meanwhile, our real road safety problems remain untouched: pothole-ridden highways, reckless commercial drivers, and the absence of reliable public transport. These kill Nigerians daily, yet the priority is tinted glass? It is like treating malaria with chalk while the fever rages on.
The truth is painful: in Nigeria, citizens are not seen as people to be protected but as wallets to be emptied. Every motorist becomes a suspect, every checkpoint a courtroom, and every officer a tax collector in uniform.
Our economy is already suffering from kwashiorkor — swollen in figures, starving in substance. Families are battling food inflation, school fees, and fuel costs, only to face yet another levy disguised as “security.” How much more can Nigerians take?
The tinted glass permit is not about protecting lives. It is about protecting revenue streams. Until leadership prioritizes the well-being of citizens over the hunger of the state, Nigeria will remain a place where governance feels like punishment rather than service.
What do you think? Is this really about safety, or just another way to milk struggling Nigerians?