Police suspends enforcement of e-CMR registration after public backlash

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has announced the suspension of the proposed enforcement of the Electronic Central Motor Registry Registration Process (e-CMR), which was originally scheduled to commence on July 29, 2024.

In a statement issued by Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, the police chief explained that the decision to relax the enforcement timeline was to allow for extensive public sensitisation on the benefits and workings of the e-CMR initiative.

According to Adejobi, the e-CMR is designed to enhance vehicle security and public safety by creating a digital database for all types of vehicles, including motorcycles.

Data entered by vehicle owners into the system will enable the police to flag and track vehicles reported stolen, among other functions.

He stressed that the platform is not intended as a revenue-generating tool but as part of the Nigeria Police Force’s push to digitise policing for more effective service delivery and protection of lives and property.

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The IGP urged members of the public to voluntarily obtain the digital CMR certificate online at https://cmris.npf.gov.ng, but issued a stern warning to police officers nationwide to desist from harassing or extorting motorists over the certificate.

Any officer found exploiting citizens under the guise of e-CMR enforcement, he said, would face disciplinary action.

The suspension follows mounting opposition from the Nigerian Bar Association’s Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL), which had given the IGP an ultimatum to reverse the directive.

NBA-SPIDEL, through its Chairman, John Aikpokpo-Martins, and Secretary, Funmi Adeogun, questioned the legal foundation of the police initiative, arguing that no law authorises the Nigeria Police Force to issue CMRIS certificates or licences to vehicle owners, who already undergo registration through appropriate agencies.

The association demanded an immediate halt to the issuance and enforcement of the certificates, the closure of the registration portal and physical centres, and full refunds to citizens who had already paid the required fees — reportedly not less than N6,000 per certificate.