Nigeria, July 2 -- I read reports attributed to the Inspector General of Police, Mr Tunde Disu, where he stated that he is considering outlawing fully tinted vehicles in Nigeria.

The justification reportedly offered is that during his tenure as FCT Police Commissioner, 26 of the 27 vehicles used by "One Chance" gangs had tinted windows.

If accurately reported, that reasoning is alarmingly shallow and misguided for a policy with national implications.

The fact that criminals prefer a particular tool does not make the tool itself criminal. Criminals also use mobile phones, motorcycles, cash, bank accounts, face caps and ordinary vehicles. Yet no serious policymaker concludes that these things should therefore be prohibited. Public policy...