The Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL) under the Nigerian Bar Association and the Nigeria Police Force have come to a consensus to assess the regulations regarding tinted permits.
Prof. Paul Ananaba, who chairs NBA-SPIDEL, disclosed this information in Ikeja on Thursday during an interactive session held in preparation for the upcoming NBA-SPIDEL Annual Conference in Akwa Ibom. Ananaba, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), affirmed that the intent of the review is to ensure the policy is in harmony with public interests and national security priorities.
The distinguished lawyer elaborated that this resolution stems from a series of discussions between both entities, in response to public grievances concerning the mistreatment of drivers with vehicles sporting partially tinted windows. He highlighted that the association intervened after multiple accounts of arbitrary arrests and vehicle confiscations by police officers enforcing the tinted permit regulations.
“In the wake of our consultations with senior police officials, we concurred that the enforcement of the tinted permit should be put on hold while a collaborative review committee is formed. SPIDEL’s interaction with the police is constructive, designed to foster accountability and justice within public administration.”
The committee, composed of representatives from both NBA-SPIDEL and the Nigeria Police, will delve into the legal and security ramifications of the policy and propose new methods for its governance,” Ananaba stated. He mentioned that the association has filed a lawsuit against the police concerning alleged bias against certain citizens, emphasizing that such legal actions are essential to uphold the rule of law.”
SPIDEL is not merely a coalition of activists; our emphasis is on public interest and development,” he remarked.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the annual conference is scheduled from December 1 to 5.Additionally, Mrs. Adaobi Egboka, Director of the Africa Initiative at the Vance Centre, New York City Bar, indicated that the Centre for International Justice had proposed a partnership with NBA-SPIDEL aimed at enhancing public interest law and institutionalizing pro bono legal services throughout Africa. Egboka shared this during her presentation of the Centre’s proposal for collaboration with the NBA to promote access to justice, ethical legal practice, and development.According to her, the Vance Centre, which operates as a non-profit division of the New York City Bar Association, works internationally to promote justice via cross-border legal cooperation, pro bono endeavors, and institutional integrity.
She noted that the suggested partnership would aid the NBA in formulating a structured pro bono framework, generating a database of participating law firms, and setting benchmarks for assessing legal aid contributions. Egboka further called for cooperation in creating a “Pro Bono Declaration for Africa,” akin to the Pro Bono Declaration of the Americas, which commits law firms to allocate specific hours each year for providing free legal services to the underprivileged.” This endeavor will enhance accountability, foster diversity within the legal field, and improve access to justice for at-risk communities.“
The Vance Centre has successfully established a Pro Bono Institute in Kenya in partnership with local universities and law firms, serving as a model that could be replicated in Nigeria through the collaboration with NBA-SPIDEL.”We encourage the NBA to support the Centre’s vision of nurturing a robust, data-driven, and institutionalized pro bono culture across Africa,” Egboka articulated.