Frontline Civil Rights Advocacy group, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has carpeted the Force Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Police Force for defending the controversial central motor information system certificate which issuance according to the rights group would make the police a revenue generating agency which is totally unconstitutional and illegal.

The Force Public Relations Officer ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, had faulted the report that the Nigerian Bar Association has given the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, a seven-day ultimatum to reverse the Central Motor Information System (CMRIS) certificate issuance to motorists.

The police spokesman said in a statement on X.com on Sunday that no agency can take the police up on the initiative.

However, HURIWA in a media statement on Tuesday by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko asked the police to perish the idea of turning itself into a revenue generating agency or tax collectors even as the rights group said the Vehicles Inspectorate Offices in the states of the federation are empowered to register vehicles operating in Nigeria just as the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) is the Federal agency of government legally authorised to collect taxes in the country. The group argued that the Nigeria Police Force is not a unit under the FIRS and therefore couldn’t be turned to a revenue generating agency arbitrarily. The rights group said the police ought to partner with the VIO offices in the area of obtaining detailed data of registration of vehicles in the country rather than using the backhand tactics to obtain money from car owners under the guise of central motor registration system which HURIWA described as another attempt to set up ‘money making machine’ for politicians and police bosses.

Besides, HURIWA stated that the extant Police Act of 2020 did not authorised the Nigeria Police Force to become a revenue generating agency as is being contemplated by the Inspector-General of Police who is insisting on charging Nigerians for the so-called central motor registration.

Citing the specific provisions on the functions of the police, HURIWA quoted the Police Act of 2020 PART II – ESTABLISHMENT, COMPOSITIONS AND DUTIES OF THE NIGERIA POLICE FORCE which affirm thus:

“1. There is established for Nigeria for the Nigeria Police Force (in this Acts referred to as “the Police Force”)which shall subjects to the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria:

(a) Be organised and administered in accordance with the provision of the Act; and

(b) Have such powers and duties and carry out such responsibilities as are conferred on it under this Act or other law.

2. The Police Force shall consist of:

(a) All persons who, immediately before the commencement of this Act, were members of the Police Force;

(b) The Inspector General of Police;

(c) Persons appointed to office in the Police Force by the Police service commission under Part IV of this Act;

(d) Special constables appointed under this Act; and

(e) Such other persons that may be appointed under this Act.

3. The hierarchy of the Police Force is a specified in the schedule to this Act.

4. The Police Force shall:

(a) Prevent and detect crimes and protect the rights and freedom of every person in Nigeria as provided in the constitution, the African charter of Human and Peoples Rights and any other law.

(b) Maintain public safety, law and order;

(c) Protect the lives and property of all persons in Nigeria;

(d) Enforce all laws and regulations without any prejudice to enabling the Acts of other securities agencies;

€ Discharge such duties within and outside Nigeria as may be required of it under this Act or any other law;

(f) Collaborate with the agencies to take any necessary action and provide the required assistance or support to persons in distress, including victims of road accidents, fire disasters, earthquakes and flood;

(g) Facilitate the free passage and movement of highways, roads and streets open to the public; and

(h) Adopt community partnership in the discharge of its responsibilities under this Act or under any other law; and

(i) Vet and approve the registration of private detectives schools and private investigative outfits.”

HURIWA stated that the Federal Inland Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2007 in section 2 stated that: “The object of the Service shall be to control and administer the different taxes and laws specified in the First Schedule or other laws made the National Assembly or other Regulations made there under by the Government of the federation and to account for all taxes collected.”

The rights group therefore wonders from where the police hierarchy has got the power to become a revenue generating agency when the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Police Act of 2020 did not empower the Nigeria Police Force to become a revenue generating agency.

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