The Nigeria Police Force, on Thursday in Lagos, said it would not hesitate to seize unregistered vehicles plying public roads in the state in order to tackle insecurity more effectively.
It also said that it would prosecute the drivers.
The Force Spokesperson, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, gave the warning while briefing newsmen on the transformation of the Force Central Motor Registry (CMR) and the need for vehicle owners to obtain CMR certificate.
Adejobi said that the enforcement had become necessary in view of the rate of crimes associated with the use of unregistered vehicles.
He noted that, with only registered vehicles plying public roads in Nigeria, security challenges would be reduced by 60 per cent.
“Whatever we do here is to make sure that we tackle crimes and criminality head-on in Nigeria.
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“Most of the crimes are carried out with unregistered vehicles,” he said.
Adejobi also warned those driving vehicles with tinted glasses to ensure they had police permit papers.
He said that the CMR transformation represented a crucial milestone in the commitment of the force to public safety and eenhancing its capacity to combat vehicle-related crimes.
The spokesperson said that Nigeria had grappled with a surge in vehicle related offences, including car theft and snatching, kidnapping, carjacking, and hit-and-run incidents, which he attributed to use of unregistered vehicles and tinted glasses, among other factors.
“This worrisome trend prompted a strategic response from the Nigeria Police Force, leading to deployment of specialised border forces aimed at curbing these criminal activities.
“In the light of these efforts, the NPF rejigged the Central Motor Registry (CMR), a vital initiative that has played a pivotal role in addressing these challenges.
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“The CMR has a rich history spanning over six decades, having been established in 1958 with a fundamental mission to combat vehicle-related crimes and bolster national security,” he said.
Adejobi said that two CMR command centres, strategically situated in Abuja and Lagos, played pivotal roles in streamlining CMR operations, adding that 37 additional networks had been established for registration.
The spokesperson said that some significant strides were achieved with the implementation of the CMR, including enhancing national security through the transformative initiative.
“Since the inception of the CMR on Dec. 7, 2022, we have received a total of 8,569 requests from 7,513 applicants, encompassing 8,497 motor vehicles and 72 motorcycles/tricycles.
“Out of these, 8,466 have been successfully approved, while 103 requests are currently in the processing phase.
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“The statistics underscores our dedication to streamlining and modernising our processes, ultimately benefiting the public and bolstering law enforcement capabilities in Nigeria.
“Over the past five weeks alone, the CMR platform has witnessed registration of 1,244 vehicles, with 234 of them flagged as stolen.
“We have successfully recovered 46 stolen vehicles during this period, contributing to the overall recovery of 89 stolen vehicles in the last five weeks.
“Our efforts to recover more stolen vehicles remain ongoing, with the goal of achieving full recovery,” he said.
Adejobi encouraged the public to apply for CMR services through user-friendly public portal at https://cmris.npf.gov.ng. or via email at cmrsupport@npf.gov.ng.
The public can also contact the CMR Command Centre in Abuja at 08117777666 and 09169892000 or the CMR Command Centre in Lagos at 08117777555 and 09169891000.