The NBA arm urged the court to order the defendants to refund all monies collected from those who obtained the certificate.
By Jeffrey Agbo
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Section on Public Interest and Development Law has taken legal action against the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, over the issuance of the Central Motor Registry Information System (CMRIS) Certificate for vehicle owners across the country.
In December 2023, the police launched CMRIS so they could have information on vehicle owners in their database.
However, according to the NBA-SPIDEL, obtaining the certificate from the Nigeria Police Force costs N6,000.
In a letter dated January 29, the NBA-SPIDEL chairman, John Aikpokpo-Martins, and secretary, Funmi Adeogun, described the issuance of the certificate illegal and issued a seven-day ultimatum on the IGP to discontinue its issuance.
The NBA-SPIDEL took the matter to court after Egbetokun refused to discontinue the CMRIS.
The plaintiffs contended that no provisions under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Police Act, or any other law give the Nigeria Police Force under the command and authority of the IGP the right, power, or authority to maintain a motor registry or issue certificates of identification or proof/evidence of ownership called the CMRIS Certificate (or in any other name called) to Nigerians.
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They also held that the Nigeria Police Force is not a revenue-generating agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria and as such lacks the right to fix and collect fees for the issuance of the CMRIS Certificate from Nigerians.
The plaintiffs, however, sought an order from the court directing the defendants to dismantle the CMRIS and stop its issuance.
They also urged the court to order the defendants to give a comprehensive account of all the monies collected for the issuance of the certificate from inception to the date of judgment to the plaintiffs and the Appropriation Committees National Assembly and the Accountant-General of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The NBA arm urged the court to order the defendants to refund all monies collected from those who obtained the certificate.
“An order directing the defendants to disclose to the plaintiffs the names of the banks and the accounts’ details in which the monies paid for the issuance of the Central Motor Registry Information System Certificates are paid into within 7 days of the judgment.
“An Order appointing KPMG Nigeria or any other reputable audit firm to audit the said account(s) in which monies for the issuance of the said Central Motor Registry Information certificates are paid into,” the plaintiffs added.
