The Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) has given a seven-day ultimatum to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to suspend the directive forcing car owners to register and receive a Central Motor Information System Certificate for a price of at least N6,000.
NBA-SPIDEL questioned the legal foundation for the Nigeria Police Force’s issuance of CMRIS certificates, claiming that no law gave the police the right to provide such licenses or certificates to car owners after registration at the authorised offices.
It sought an immediate halt to the issuance and enforcement of CMRIS certificates, requesting the Inspector General of Police to issue a directive to end the practice worldwide.
The association also urged for the closure of the registration website and physical registration centres, with refunds issued to individuals who had already paid.
The call was made in a letter to the Inspector General of Police, which was signed by NBA-SPIDEL Chairman John Aikpokpo-Martins and Secretary Funmi Adeogun.
It stated, “Any such certificate being issued by the Nigeria Police Force without legal backing is outright illegal, null, and void, and therefore of no consequence.”
It stressed that the police’s responsibility to protect civilians and uphold the law does not include collecting money or granting certificates to car owners.
They denounced the exploitation of Nigerians’ ignorance, which led to extortion during roadside searches.
The letter warned, “Failure, neglect, or refusal to comply with this lawful demand within seven days of receipt of this letter will compel NBA-SPIDEL to seek appropriate sanctions in court against your esteemed office and the Nigeria Police Force.”
Meanwhile, Kayode Egbetokun, the Inspector General of Police, has directed that the digitalized Central Motor Registry be implemented by July 29, 2024.
According to him, the goal is to update and digitise the motor vehicle registration system, thereby strengthening the country’s safety and security infrastructure.
The e-CMR is an innovative, real-time online repository of motor vehicle data intended to aid police investigations and operational activities as well as combat vehicle-related crimes like terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and armed robbery.
According to the police, the switch to a computerised system will speed up the documentation and verification processes for vehicle ownership and related activities.
According to a statement issued on Saturday by Force spokesperson Muyiwa Adejobi, the e-CMR system will make services such as ownership change, license number, engine, and chassis/body seamless, ensuring vehicle genuineness, assisting in tracking and recovery of stolen vehicles, and preventing the sale of stolen vehicles to innocent buyers.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
