Nigeria Bar Association Section on Public Interest has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to stop the directive requiring vehicle owners to register and obtain a Central Motor Information System Certificate for a fee of not less than N6,000.

NBA-SPIDEL questioned the legal basis for the Nigeria Police Force’s issuance of the CMRIS Certificates, stating that no law had granted the police the authority to issue such licenses or certificates to vehicle owners following vehicle registration at the appropriate offices.

It also demanded an immediate halt to the issuance and enforcement of the CMRIS Certificates, while, urging the Inspector General of Police to issue a directive stopping the practice nationwide.

The association also called for the shutdown of the registration website and physical registration centers, with refunds to be made to those who had already paid, adding that, the police’s duty to protect citizens and enforce the law does not extend to collecting money or issuing certificates to vehicle owners.

They condemned the exploitation of Nigerians’ ignorance, resulting in extortion during road searches, while, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered the enforcement of the digitalized Central Motor Registry by July 29, 2024, to modernize and digitize the motor vehicle registration system, bolstering the nation’s safety and security framework, stressing that, the e-CMR is an advanced, real-time online repository of motor vehicle data, designed to support police investigations, and operational activities, and combat vehicle-related crimes, including terrorism, as well as banditry, kidnapping, and armed robbery.