The Nigeria Bar Association Section on Public Interest (NBA-SPIDEL) has called on the Nigeria Police to stop the issuance of Central Motor Information System (CMRIS) Certificates to motorists in the country.
In an open letter to the Inspector-General of Police, the group made it clear that there is no legal provision for the police to issue such certificate at the cost of not less than #6,000.00.
The letter, signed by the group’s chairman, John Aikpokpo-Martins and the Secretary, Funmi Adeogun, stressed 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.
The group insisted that the certificates being issued to vehicle owners have no basis in any laws, “at least to our knowledge.”
It said that the Police have no authority to issue car licenses or certificates of any nature to vehicle owners after due registration of vehicles in the appropriate office.
“NBA-SPIDEL therefore uses this opportunity to reiterate the fact that the duty of the Nigeria Police in protecting the citizens and enforcing the law does not extend to collecting monies and/or issuing certificates to vehicle owners. Regrettably, the men of the Nigeria Police Force have since taken advantage of the ignorance of unsuspecting Nigerians by extorting large sums of money from them for failure to present the CMRIS certificate on demand during road search.
“This illegality has to stop immediately.
“Consequently, the NBA-SPIDEL states that these acts of illegality must not continue unabated and therefore unequivocally demand that the Nigeria Police immediately stop the issuance and/or demand for the Central Motor Information System (CMRIS) Certificate.
NBA-SPIDEL, therefore, humbly but strongly demands that you issue a directive immediately stopping the issuance of/demand for the CMRIS certificates nationwide.
“NBA-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 3 days of the receipt of this notice. Please note that failure, neglect or refusal to comply with this lawful demand within 7 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.”
