The Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL) and the Nigeria Police Force have reached an agreement to review the controversial tinted permit policy to ensure it serves both public interest and national security objectives.
The Chairman of NBA-SPIDEL, Prof. Paul Ananaba (SAN), disclosed this in Lagos on Thursday during an interactive session ahead of the 2025 SPIDEL Conference.
He said the decision followed extensive engagements between the association and the police after widespread complaints of harassment and arbitrary arrests of motorists over tinted vehicle windows.
According to Ananaba, the association intervened following numerous reports of indiscriminate enforcement of the tinted permit directive, which led to vehicle impoundments and rights violations across the country.
“Following our discussions with senior police officers, we agreed that enforcement of the tinted permit should be suspended while a joint review committee is constituted,” Ananaba revealed.
He explained that the committee, comprising representatives from NBA-SPIDEL and the Nigeria Police Force, would assess the legal, administrative, and security dimensions of the tinted glass regulation and recommend new modalities for its enforcement.
Ananaba stressed that the engagement between SPIDEL and the police was collaborative rather than adversarial, aimed at enhancing accountability and promoting justice in public administration.
“SPIDEL is not a body of activists; our focus is public interest and development,” he stated, adding that the association had also filed a lawsuit against the police over alleged discriminatory practices in the enforcement of certain directives.
He noted that such legal interventions were part of SPIDEL’s mandate to defend the rule of law and uphold citizens’ rights.
Ananaba further announced that the SPIDEL 2025 Conference would take place in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on December 5, focusing on reforms in justice delivery, governance, and international cooperation for human rights promotion.
Meanwhile, the Vance Centre for International Justice has proposed a strategic partnership with NBA-SPIDEL to advance public interest law and institutionalise pro bono legal services across Africa.
The Director of the Africa Initiative at the Vance Centre, Mrs Adaobi Egboka, presented the proposal during the Lagos session, noting that the collaboration aims to promote access to justice, ethical legal practice, and democratic governance.
Egboka explained that the Vance Centre, a non-profit arm of the New York City Bar Association, works globally to enhance justice through cross-border legal partnerships and pro bono initiatives.
She said the proposed collaboration would help NBA-SPIDEL develop a structured pro bono framework, create a database of participating law firms, and establish measurable standards for legal aid contributions.
Egboka also called for the creation of a “Pro Bono Declaration for Africa”, modelled after the Pro Bono Declaration of the Americas, which commits law firms to dedicate specific annual hours to free legal services for underprivileged citizens.
She highlighted the Centre’s successful establishment of a Pro Bono Institute in Kenya, in partnership with universities and law firms, as a model that could be replicated in Nigeria.
Egboka urged the Nigerian Bar to support the initiative, emphasising that an institutionalised pro bono culture would enhance justice delivery, promote diversity, and strengthen public trust in the legal profession.
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