A civil rights advocacy group on the aegis of Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has carpeted the Nigeria Police Force for defending the controversial central motor information system certificate which issuance would make the Force a revenue generating agency contrary to the provisions of the constitution thus, totally unconstitutional and illegal.
HURIWA described the implementation of CMRIS as another attempt to set up ‘money making machine’ for politicians and police bosses, stressing that the extant Police Act of 2020 did not authorised the Nigeria Police Force to become a revenue generating agency as was being contemplated by the Inspector-General of Police who is insisting on charging Nigerians for the so-called central motor registration.
HURIWA in a statement on Tuesday, July 16, 2024 by its National Coordinator, urged the Nigeria Police Force to perish the idea of turning itself into a revenue generating agency or tax collectors.
It said that 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 rights group noted that the Spokesperson of the Nigeria Police, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, was wrong by declaring that no agency can take the police up on the initiative.
HURIWA noted that ACP Adejobi in a statement on X.com on Sunday, while responding to the Nigerian Bar Association position to the CMRIS, said; “This is unfounded, fake, and misleading. The NBA as a body will react to this. Stop spreading fake news. Who are those who made the statement or declaration, and in what capacity?
The spokesperson of the police challenged those against the initiative to share the press statement of the NBA to enable him engage them in discussion, adding that the police have been issuing CMR for decades, so it’s not a new strategy or document.
However, HURIWA said the Nigeria Police Force is not a unit under the FIRS and therefore couldn’t be turned to a revenue generating agency arbitrarily, adding that 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.
While citing the specific provisions of the Police Act 2020 pertaining to its functions, HURIWA noted that the Act specifically states that the police shall 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.
HURIWA said other functions of the police include; “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;
“(e) 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,” it said.
HURIWA equally said 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.”
It therefore questioned where the police hierarchy 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.
