Nigerian police have announced the suspension of the controversial e-CMR application for vehicle owners.
Police had previously announced that enforcement of the law would begin on July 29, which would have resulted in penalties for vehicle owners who do not possess the e-CMR.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that many Nigerians condemned the earlier announcement and the Nigerian Bar Association gave the police a week to reverse the decision.
Critics argued that it was not the duty of the police to issue such documents for vehicles.
In his statement on Sunday, police spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi defended the police decision to issue the certificate to vehicle owners who pay for it.
“The e-CMR will provide the Force with a first-hand database to curb vehicle crime, as dedicated officers will be able to access comprehensive real-time data on each vehicle on their tablets,” he wrote.
Mr Adejobi said police chief Kayode Egbetokun had suspended the application for the certificate to allow for “mass enlightenment” by Nigerians.
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“The Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, has ordered the immediate suspension of the proposed implementation of the e-CMR, initially scheduled to commence on July 29, 2024.
“This is to provide ample opportunity for mass enlightenment and education of all citizens and residents on the process, benefits and effectiveness in addressing the challenge of vehicle-related crimes and protecting individual and corporate vehicle ownership,” Adejobi wrote.
Read Mr Adejobi's full statement below.
EE-CMR PRESS RELEASE: POLICE HIGHLIGHTS BENEFITS AND EFFICIENCY OF ITS APPLICATION TO CURB VIOLENT CRIMES
IGP orders suspension of execution proceedings, raising awareness among Nigerian residents
Following the reconfiguration and commencement of the electronic central vehicle registration (e-CMR) process, the Police have deemed it necessary to highlight the benefits and effectiveness of the e-CMR initiative, which is designed to ensure the safety of all types of vehicles, including motorcycles, by collecting data entered into the system by vehicle owners and acting accordingly to flag vehicles if they are reported stolen.
The e-CMR will provide the Force with a first-hand database to curb vehicle-related crimes as dedicated officers will be able to access comprehensive real-time data of each vehicle on their tablets. Similarly, the e-CMR will prevent multiple registration of vehicles and serve as a database to cross-check biometric and other data of vehicle owners and individuals, thereby adding value to the national database and incident reporting portal generated by other ministries, departments and agencies for overall security.
Furthermore, contrary to the circulating news and insinuations about the e-CMR, the NPF wishes to state categorically that the e-CMR is not a revenue generating platform but an initiative to digitalize the police for overall effectiveness and security of the lives and properties of Nigerian residents.
The Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, has ordered the immediate suspension of the proposed implementation of the e-CMR, initially scheduled to commence on July 29, 2024. This is to provide ample opportunity for mass enlightenment and education of all citizens and residents on the process, benefits and effectiveness in solving the challenge of vehicle-related crimes and protecting individual and corporate vehicle ownership.
The public is urged to obtain the digitalised CMR certificate online at cmris.npf.gov.ng. For further enquiries, persons may contact the 24/7 hotline (02018870133), the CMR Command Centre at the Headquarters Abuja (08117777666, 09169892000) and the Headquarters Annex Lagos (08117777555, 09169891000). Technical assistance is also available at cmrtech@npfcmr.ng.
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In view of this, we request the understanding and support of all well-meaning Nigerians and residents to register themselves on the e-CMR system. In the same vein, the IGP enjoins all police officers to desist from applying for e-CMR certificates as persons who extort or exploit members of the public under the pretext of not having e-CMR certificates will be punished accordingly as enforcement of the law which would only be carried out by specialised officers has been suspended until further notice.
ACP OLUMUYIWA ADEJOBI, mnipr, mipra, fCAI, FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER, TO: INSPECTOR GENERAL, POLICE FORCE HEADQUARTERS, ABUJA
July 14, 2024