The Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law, NBA-SPIDEL, has taken to court the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, following the issuance of the Central Motor Information System for vehicle possessors all over the country.
The police had in December 2023, revealed the Central Motor Registry Information System, CMRIS, as one of the means to assist the police to have important details of vehicle owners in its database.
Meanwhile, according to the NBA-SPIDEL, securing the certificate from the Nigeria Police Force costs N6,000.
According to a written communication dated January 29, the NBA-SPIDEL Chairman, John Aikpokpo-Martins, and Secretary, Funmi Adeogun, outlined the issuance of the certificate unlawfully and issued a seven-day warning on the IG to quit its issuance.
Following the non-performance of the IG to oblige to their request, the NBA-SPIDEL chair and secretary filed an application seeking to put a stop to the IG and the Nigeria Police Force from issuing the certificate.
The complainant maintained that no provisions under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Police Act, or any other law gave the Nigeria Police Force, under the command and authority of the IG, the power, right or authority to continue a motor registry or issue certificates of identification or proof/evidence of ownership called the Central Motor Registry Information System Certificate (or in any other name called) to Nigerians.
They also held that the Nigeria Police Force was not a revenue-generating agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria and as such, lacked the ethical rights to fix and assemble fees for the issuance of the Central Motor Registry Information System Certificate from Nigerians.
