News Update
Human rights lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, has urged the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to immediately halt the proposed enforcement of the recently announced third-party insurance for vehicle owners.
The legal practitioner asked the police to discard the “unpopular” policy within 48 hours or face legal action.
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) had on January 11 given vehicle owners in Nigeria until July 29 to register for the digitalized Central Motor Registry (e-CMR), which costs N5,375 per vehicle.
The NPF, in a statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the enforcement of the e-CMR which is a mandatory document for vehicle owners would start on the said date while urging motorists to register within the next 14 days.
In a letter dated January 13, Adeyanju stated that the said directive is not backed by the Police Act or any other law, and that it is the duty of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to enact and enforce laws pertaining to roads.
He accused the police of trying to generate revenue through the e-CMR, which goes against its mandate to protect lives and properties of Nigerians, as stipulated by the constitution.
The letter reads in parts, “Sir, we must immediately state that not only is the proposed enforcement unpopular, it is also not backed by the Police Act, being the extant law setting up the Nigerian Police Force, and we dare say, any other law.
“The power to regulate issues bordering on the safety of persons and vehicles on Nigerian roads is rather domiciled with the Federal Road Safety Corps. Wide as the powers of the Nigeria Police may be, it cannot be extended to those issues that are not directly connected to its fundamental duties under the Police Act.
“In a plethora of cases, and more recently in the case of Nwaboshi v F.R.N & Ors (2023) LPELR-60698 (SC), the Supreme Court reiterated the principle that the powers of security agencies in Nigeria are not large.
“Indeed, the powers of the Nigerian Police Force are not large. It is our opinion, sir, that the Nigerian Police Force lacks the vires to enforce third-party insurance for vehicle owners in Nigeria, and the proposed enforcement must be immediately discarded.
“Additionally, it will appear, sir, that the Nigeria Police Force under your leadership is increasingly tilting towards revenue generation, as against its core constitutional mandate of protecting lives and properties in Nigeria.
“A few months ago, the Nigeria Police Force came up with another unpopular idea of requesting Nigerians to pay the sum of N5,375 to register their vehicles on the Police Central Motor Registry platform. It took the intervention of well- meaning Nigerians before the proposed enforcement of the police CMR was halted.
“Barely two months later, we are again faced with the decision of the Nigeria Police Force to enforce third-party vehicle insurance, a decision that you are aware will ultimately lead to further extortion of helpless Nigerian motorists by officers of the Nigeria Police Force.
“We must, therefore, ask, why is the Nigeria Police fixated on policies that are apparently aimed at generating money, while the vast majority of Nigerians across the six geopolitical zones continue to suffer from grave insecurity ranging from kidnapping, armed robbery, terrorism, murder, etc,” the lawyer said.
Adeyanju threatened legal action within 48 hours if the directive is not withdrawn.