In what appeared a somersault, the Nigeria Police Force, on Thursday, said it would soon begin a clampdown on vehicles with unauthorized tinted glass, stressing that vehicles with tinted glasses contribute to the kidnappings and crimes in the country.

Force spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi, stated this on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.

He lamented that every Tom, Dick and Harry wants to have their car glasses tinted in Nigeria.

According to Adejobi, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, had a meeting with experts and officers on Wednesday on how to review the issuance of tinted permit for vehicles.

He said, “You will discover that some of these crimes, particularly violent crimes, vehicle-related crimes, are connected.

“You can’t have kidnapping, you can’t have some of these incidences without being mobile, either the use of vehicles, bikes or tricycles, and most of the vehicles they use now are tinted and that is why we want to clamp down on the use of tinted glasses.”

He also said the use of unregistered vehicles is criminal and warned those covering their number plates to desist from such act.

He said issuance of tinted permit is not automatic. “Even when importing a vehicle, all tinted glasses must be removed. We don’t expect dealers to be selling vehicles with tinted glasses, whether factory-fitted or man-made,” he said.

The police spokesman, however, said very important personalities and people with defective sights can be considered to use vehicles with tinted glasses.