…As NBA Condemns Police Surety Demands, Alleges Bail ‘Black Market’
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, on Tuesday directed the nationwide enforcement and impoundment of fully tinted vehicles, citing growing security concerns.
Disu disclosed this during a courtesy visit by the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN), and members of his delegation.
The development followed concerns raised by Osigwe over the administration of tinted glass permits, restrictive bail conditions and alleged abuses in the bail process at police stations across the country.
Speaking on bail administration, Osigwe lamented what he described as the growing commercialisation of the process, urging the police to uphold detainees’ rights and comply with statutory provisions.
He noted that despite provisions in the Administration of Criminal Justice Act empowering judges and magistrates to inspect detention facilities and grant bail, confidence in the justice system had continued to erode.
According to him, some law enforcement agencies merely create the impression that bail has been granted while making the conditions impossible to fulfil.
“Bail has become a financial venture in police stations, EFCC offices and ICPC offices. They deny bail by pretending to grant bail,” he said.
Osigwe also condemned the practice of demanding directors or senior civil servants as sureties, describing it as a development that had created a “black market” for suretyship.
He said some police officers only accept specific directors or senior civil servants as sureties, forcing suspects and their families to pay such individuals despite their lack of relationship with the detainees.
The NBA president called for a return to reasonable bail conditions and urged the establishment of an integrated electronic criminal database to improve record-keeping, facilitate tracking of offenders and strengthen the administration of justice.
On tinted glass permits, Osigwe said the NBA supports police regulation of tinted vehicles but opposed the commercialisation of the permit system.
He argued that once vehicle particulars are properly captured in a database, there should be no need for repeated renewals or the involvement of private companies in collecting fees.
“We have nothing against going after vehicles whose occupants cannot be identified, but turning the process into a revenue-generating venture should be frowned upon,” he said.
Responding, the IGP said he would prefer a total ban on tinted vehicles if such a decision rested solely with him.
He described fully tinted vehicles as a major security threat frequently exploited by kidnappers, armed robbers and “one-chance” syndicates.
“If I have my way, there would be no tinted vehicles in the country. We are moving towards that,” Disu said.
He recalled that investigations into “one-chance” operations during his tenure as Commissioner of Police in the Federal Capital Territory revealed that most of the vehicles used by the criminals were fully tinted.
According to him, many of the 27 vehicles recovered from such operations had darkened windows, underscoring the link between heavily tinted vehicles and criminal activity.
Disu also criticised the increasing use of excessively dark tints, including on windscreens and rear windows, saying they impede stop-and-search operations and endanger security personnel.
He stressed that only persons with legitimate security or medical reasons are legally permitted to use tinted glass, and even then, not to the extent that visibility is obstructed.
“We are not going to accept fully tinted vehicles in this country, and at the appropriate time, we will commence enforcement,” he said.
On concerns over bail and surety requirements, the IGP said he had directed officers to strictly comply with the law, while warning that police personnel would not be intimidated or coerced by lawyers in the discharge of their lawful duties.
