By Nkechi Eze
The Nigeria Police Force, led by IGP Kayode Egbetokun, is strengthening its commitment to integrating technology into policing through e-policing strategies. This includes the Police Rescue Me App, Police VGS emergency App, and the reactivation of the Central Motor Registry Portal (e-CMR) to combat vehicle-related crimes and enhance crime-fighting capabilities nationwide.
The Force Public Relations Officer ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi during a press briefing on 30th January 2025, at the Force Headquarters highlighted the significance of the E-CMR. According to the FPRO, the Force tireless efforts to combat crime across multiple fronts are particularly noteworthy, especially in the critical area of vehicle theft.
The Nigeria Police Force recorded the successful recovery of 1519 vehicles last year and has also recorded the recovery of 52 vehicles in the month of January 2025. ACP Adejobi emphasized the importance of public cooperation in using the e-CMR portal, which has enabled the police to recover stolen vehicles and investigate many other cases.
“As part its relentless efforts towards combating vehicle-related crimes, the Force wishes to announce a recent successful operation that led to the recovery of stolen vehicles, utilizing the electronic Central Motor Registry (e-CMR) system. The Electronic Central Motor Registry (e-CMR) is a digitalized repository of licenced motor vehicles in the country, as provided for in the law.
“Since the initiative began, successes have been, and are still being recorded by the Force.”
According to the Force Spokesman, notable achievements include: Over 400,000 vehicles registered by genuine owners in the database, swift reporting of stolen vehicles, with 1,011 cases reported, successful recovery of three vehicles reported stolen on the platform in October 2024, with one grateful owner reunited with their vehicle at the Force Headquarters.
The Force Spokesman also revealed that, in a recent breakthrough, the E-CMR platform facilitated the recovery of two stolen vehicles in Kano State.
“So far, 1,011 vehicles have been reported stolen on the platform and are under investigation,:5,877 vehicles with conflicting information are being investigated.
“Today, I am pleased to inform Nigerians that the Force is closing up on recovering seven (7) stolen vehicles reported on the ECMR platform. This is in addition to the several recoveries made by the Force in recent times.
“In the instant case for this press briefing, a Toyota Highlander stolen in 2021 (4 years ago) was recovered by the Police last week in Enugu State and is presently in Police custody in Abuja.
“The vehicle was stolen on 13th January, 2021. Two years later, the rightful owner learnt about the Nigeria Police’s Stolen Vehicle Report Portal https://reportcmr.npf.gov.ng and reported the theft. The vehicle was sold to a buyer in Kano who decided to provide the vehicle details to the Police through the E-CMR portal and obtain a certificate to that effect. In the process, the system flagged it as Stolen based on the earlier report.
“Investigation led to the recovery of the vehicle in Enugu State. The seller/receiver and buyer will have their date in Court soon. The owner is right here with us and has gladly opted to speak to the Press on his experience.
“To assist Nigerians verify the status of a vehicle, a module that uses USSD functionality is being developed and will be deployed as soon as connectivity with mobile telecom operators is concluded.
“To provide your vehicle information to the Nigeria Police, visit this website:
https://cmris.npf.gov.ng. To provide your stolen vehicle information to the Nigeria Police, visit this website:
https://reportcmr.npf.gov.ng
The IGP reiterates the Force commitment to continue investing and adopting modern technological solutions to combat crime effectively.
As we move forward, our focus remains on using every available tool to ensure the safety of our citizens and protect their properties. The Force encourages citizens to take advantage of these technological advancements and report any suspicious activities to aid in our collective fight against crime”, he concluded.
