The Borno State Police Command has warned that criminals are increasingly using vehicles with tinted windows to carry out illegal activities across the state.
In a statement issued on Saturday by the Command’s spokesperson, ASP Nahum Daso, the police revealed that armed robbers, kidnappers, terrorists, and drug dealers are now taking advantage of tinted vehicles to hide their identities and escape detection.
Daso explained that findings from the police’s Crime Frequency Data clearly show that many serious crimes involve the use of dark-tinted vehicles.
“Evidence has shown that tinted vehicles have frequently been used to conceal or facilitate serious crimes. Armed robbers, kidnappers, drug traffickers, and terrorists have all taken advantage of tinted glass to hide their identities or illicit objects,” he said.
He added that criminals often use such vehicles to transport weapons, drugs, or even abducted victims without being noticed by security operatives or the public.
To support his claims, Daso recalled a heartbreaking incident that occurred on September 26, 2025, in Borno, where three children tragically suffocated inside a car with tinted windows after accidentally locking themselves in. He said passers-by could not see them in time to help because of the dark glass.
“This incident shows not only how tinted glass can be used for crime, but also how it can prevent people from seeing and saving lives in emergencies,” he added.
The police stressed the need for tighter regulation of tinted glass use nationwide, saying it was important to balance public safety with legitimate privacy concerns.
Meanwhile, in a related development, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, said the police have not yet been served with any Federal High Court order stopping enforcement of the tinted glass permit policy.
The Nigeria Police had previously suspended the requirement for a tinted glass permit but continues to express concern over the misuse of such vehicles by criminal elements.
The warning from the Borno Police comes amid rising insecurity in various parts of the country, as authorities work to improve intelligence gathering and ensure better surveillance across Nigerian roads.
