The Nigeria Police has maintained that the prohibition of tinted car glasses must take root in the country because of the precarious security of the times.
This comes admits campaigns from some quarters that the new directive should be varied, to accommodate certain shades of tint and the consideration that Nigeria does not manufacture cars and so buyers are stuck with factory fitted tint glasses.
Others argue that the law is not in conformity of the times.
But the spokesman of Police, Frank Mba while speaking on the Channels television programme, Sunrise Daily, on Monday said the decision to enforce the law prohibiting the use of tinted glasses was more in the security interest of Nigerians than just a show of power.
He said in the last one year, the police “intercepted about 15 vehicles at the boarders trying to smuggle weapons into the country. And all the vehicles are hundred percent tinted glasses.
He continued “also, we have discovered that all the vehicles used in the terrorist attacks have tinted glasses. So we are not just enforcing this law as a show of power.”
The police spokesman noted that the law is clear that no form of shade should be allowed, adding that the essence is to enable the police to easily see the occupants of the vehicle.
He added that the law also made provisions for permits for use of tinted glasses which must meet certain criteria, including specified medical reports for albinos, as laid out in the law.
Mba further said inspite of the fact that Nigeria does not manufacture cars, Nigerians while purchasing cars have a choice of purchasing non-tinted vehicles in conformity with the law.
He nonetheless noted that owners of tinted vehicles could get a permission up to 14 days to effect a change on glass to the legally recommended specification.