The Nigeria Police Force on Thursday in Lagos said it would not hesitate to seize unregistered vehicles plying public roads to tackle insecurity more effectively.

It also said it would prosecute the drivers.

The force spokesperson, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, warned while briefing journalists on the transformation of the Force Central Motor Registry (CMR) and the need for vehicle owners to obtain a CMR certificate.

He noted that with only registered vehicles plying public roads in Nigeria, security challenges would be reduced by 60 per cent.

Mr Adejobi also warned those driving vehicles with tinted glasses to ensure they had police permit papers.

He said the CMR transformation represented a crucial milestone in the force’s commitment to public safety and enhancing its capacity to combat vehicle-related crimes.

The spokesperson said 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 the use of unregistered vehicles and tinted glasses, among other factors.

“This worrisome trend prompted a strategic response from the Nigeria Police Force, leading to the 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.

“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.

Mr Adejobi said 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.

He said the police had received 8,569 requests since CMR’s inception on December 7, 2022. 

“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,” he said.

(NAN)