The Nigerian Bar Association Section has given the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, seven days to stop the issuance of the Central Motor Information System certificate for vehicle owners across the country.
The police had in December 2023 unveiled CMRIS to help the police have essential details of vehicle owners in its database.
According to the NBA-SPIDEL, obtaining the certificate from the Nigeria Police Force costs N6,000.
However, in a letter dated January 29 and signed by the NBA Chairman, John Aikpokpo-Martins, and Secretary, Funmi Adeogun, the directive and its enforcement was described as illegal.
They said, โThe NBA-SPIDEL questions the legal propriety which enables the Nigeria Police Force to issue CMRIS Certificates to vehicle owners, particularly when it is not clearly stated in any laws (at least to our knowledge) that the Nigeria Police has any authority to issue car licenses or certificates of any nature to vehicle owners after due registration of vehicles in the appropriate office.
โNBA-SPIDEL states further that any such certificate being issued by the Nigeria Police Force without any legal backing is outright illegal, null, and void and therefore of no consequence.โ
They demanded that the website and physical registration centers for C be shut down and money already collected from Nigerians be refunded.
The organisation further stated, โNBA-SPIDEL further demands that the registration website and every other physical registration centres be shut down, and every money already collected from Nigerians be refunded to them within three days of the receipt of this notice.
โPlease note that failure, neglect, or refusal to comply with this lawful demand within seven days of the receipt of this letter will compel NBA-SPIDEL to seek appropriate sanctions in court against your esteemed office and the Nigeria Police Force.โ
