The House of Representatives, has asked the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command of the Nigerian Police to immediately halt the alleged indiscriminate harassment of motorists, and to release vehicles reportedly impounded over violation tinted glasses and covered number plates.
While calling for compliance with the resolution provided that there are no other infractions, the House has also urged the Police Command to issue a public notice granting a grace period of no less than 90 days, during which vehicle owners can take necessary steps to comply with the regulations concerning tinted glasses and number plates.
The House also mandated its Committee on Police Affairs to engage with the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force to develop clear guidelines for the enforcement of such directives in the future, ensuring that adequate public awareness and reasonable timelines are established prior to implementation, and asking the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to launch a comprehensive public enlightenment campaign, informing citizens about the specifics of the regulations and the procedures for obtaining necessary permits or making required modifications to their vehicles.
The resolution on Tuesday was sequel to a motion of urgent public importance importance on “Addressing the Enforcement of Ban on Tinted Glasses and Covered Number Plates in the FCT”, sponsored by Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Basic Education, Hon. Mukhtar Shagaya.
The lawmaker noted while the recent directive by the FCT Police Command on enforcing a ban on vehicles with tinted glasses and covered number plates, as part of efforts to curbing rising criminal activities such as kidnapping might be intended to enhance security within the FCT, the abrupt enforcement without adequate public notice has led to widespread harassment of motorists and significant inconvenience to law-abiding citizens.
“The lack of sufficient time for vehicle owners to comply with the new regulations has resulted in numerous vehicles being impounded, causing undue hardship and potential economic losses to individuals and businesses”, he said.
