Nigeria Police e-CMR Tackling Vehicular Crimes Using Digital Technology

When the Nigeria Police Force (NPF)  established the Central Motor Registry over six decades ago, the mandatory registration of vehicle information was done manually. The registration processes were tedious, posing compliance challenges for motorists.

With rising cases of vehicular crimes in the country, the NPF introduced the Electronic Central Motor Registry (e-CMR) in April 2023 to manage every motor vehicle and its ownership seamlessly. The e-CMR, a digitalised information system, allows vehicle owners to provide information about their cars, ownership, and other necessary details remotely using an internet-enabled device, aiding digital-age policing.  

Nigeria has a fundamental stolen vehicle problem. The Nigeria Bureau of Statistics revealed that between 2023 and 2024 alone, 1,587,363 cases of motor vehicle thefts were reported in 12 months. In a report titled, ‘Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey (CESPS) 2024’, the NBS disclosed that the Northwest region has the highest cases of vehicle theft in the country.

“Analysis by zones revealed that the Northwest recorded the highest (603,756), followed by North-central (246,329), while the Southwest had the least (140,144) motor vehicle theft. Further disaggregation by place of residence shows that rural areas had the highest with 887,002 while urban areas recorded the least with 700,361,” the report read.

Roadblocks

The Digital vehicle registration scheme presented several challenges, especially when the police decided to enforce it in July 2023. First, many people were disoriented about digitalised vehicle registration’s possible effectiveness and benefits. The police argued that the e-CMR is an advanced, real-time online repository of motor vehicle data designed to support police investigations and operational activities and combat vehicle-related crimes, including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and armed robbery. 

When Nigerians expressed willingness to subscribe to the digital initiative, the police asked them to pay ₦5,375 as they registered. The NPF explained that ₦5,000 was accrued to the police, while ₦375 was Value Added Tax. The imposition of charges for this course caused a backlash, as citizens accused the police of creating a conduit for extortion and oppression. Many motorists saw the police e-CMR initiative as another way to accrue taxes, compounding the heavy taxation burden on Nigerians.

Amid criticism,  the police suspended the digital policing scheme to sensitise Nigerians on its importance further. 

“The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, PhD, NPM, has ordered an immediate suspension of the proposed enforcement of the e-CMR initially scheduled to commence on the 29th of July, 2024.

“This is to give ample opportunity for mass enlightenment and education of all citizens and residents on the process, benefits and effectiveness in solving the challenge of vehicle-related crimes, and protection of individual and corporate vehicle ownership,” wrote Muyiwa Adejobi, the Police Public Relations Officer.

Later, the NPF highlighted the potential benefits of the e-CMR project, noting that it aims to revolutionise how vehicle information is verified and handled on the road. The Force PRO shared tips on the ease and efficiency of the “e-policing” innovation on social media, stressing that the project aims to make roads safer and the policing process smoother. He added that this new system would allow vehicle owners to register their vehicles digitally and provide a quick response for emergencies.

“If your vehicle is registered with the NPF E-CMR and gets stolen, you can instantly flag it as stolen through your online profile,” he said.

“No more stopping to check papers—our officers are equipped with cutting-edge tech to verify documents in real-time,” the senior police officer added. “With the NPF’s new E-CMR system, you don’t need to carry around physical documents. Access all your vehicle info digitally — quick, easy, and secure.”

Success?

Less than one year after the policy was implemented, the police said they had recovered hundreds of stolen vehicles through the e-CMR platform. In January, the Kano police command said its officers recovered two stolen vehicles. Abdullahi Kiyawa, the Kano police spokesperson, said the vehicles were recovered using the e-CMR platform and noted that the suspects stole the first vehicle during a car test drive in Abuja, while the other car was taken to Kano, where it was parked.

“On 1st January 2025, a complaint was lodged by a resident of Abuja, stating that unidentified individuals approached him at his car stand located in Zuba, Abuja, expressing interest in a Toyota Corolla 2014 model,” Kiyawa said in a statement seen by HumAngle.

“During a test drive, the two suspects brandished a pistol, threatened the victim, and subsequently fled with the vehicle including original documents and two keys. Similarly, on 4th January 2025, a Mercedes Benz C300 parked in front of Luxirian Event Center in Nassarawa GRA, Kano owned by a resident of Hadejia Road, Kano was reported stolen.”

After obtaining relevant information from the e-CMR platform, the stolen vehicles were found behind the old airport in Bauchi state and Shagari Quarters in Kano, respectively. He urged motorists to utilise the e-CMR platform, which uses details provided to track stolen vehicles.

“Between 10th and 15th January 2025, the team after obtaining relevant information from the e-CMR platform, successfully recovered the two stolen motor vehicles behind the old Airport in Bauchi State and Shagari Quarters, Kano respectively. Investigations into the two cases are ongoing,” the spokesperson added.

Similarly, in October 2024, the NPF said it flagged 612 hijacked and missing vehicles in the country. Adejobi noted that the vehicles were tracked through the e-CMR platform. The NPF spokesman said the police authorities launched further investigations to dismantle the syndicate responsible for these vehicle hijackings. 

He told journalists that the first batch of seven stolen vehicles reported through the e-CMR platform was flagged for investigation, with three of them already recovered.

He recalled how one of the stolen vehicles cases they tracked happened saying:  “The owner had reported the vehicle as stolen on the Stolen Vehicle Portal and provided the details of the vehicle. The innocent buyer applied to obtain the CMR certificate, but the system triggered an alert that the vehicle had been reported/flagged as stolen. This prompted a police investigation that led to the recovery.

“It is interesting to observe that the stolen vehicle was re-registered twice after it was stolen by the criminals. This was meant to eliminate any trace whatsoever of the vehicle… it is similar to money laundering.

“The syndicate specialising in vehicle theft has been busted, and one of the gang members has been arrested and will be charged to court as soon as all investigation activities have been duly completed.

Prayers

Daniel Emmanuel, a car user and resident in Abuja, prayed the digital system was sustained. Things look good now, especially with the success stories recorded by the police, he said. “But are they going to sustain it? It’s not just about ideas; it’s about consistency and effectiveness,” Denied said, noting that he has registered his vehicles on the platform, hoping that it would be useful someday.

Salihu Saleh, a Nigerian police officer in the country’s capital, also commended the efforts, saying the NPF will record greater success if the e-CMR initiative is sustained.

“I believe it’s working as described in the media,” the officer said. “We only pray it continues to work more effectively.”

Amid the police’s zealous implementation of the policy, the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) feared a clash and wondered if the NPF had the authority to enforce the e-CMR enrolment. When the police announced the commencement of the initiative, the FRSC said the commission’s management would meet to respond to the issue.

The disagreement over which of the two organisations should enforce the e-CMR is not new. A similar disagreement occurred in 2004, with FRSC challenging the police authority.

At the time, the FRSC asserted that the police did not have the authority to demand the e-CMR from drivers in the country. The commission advised the police under the then IGP, Tafa Balogun, to ask his men to stop demanding the e-CMR document from motorists nationwide, saying it had the mandate to keep records of motor vehicles in the country.

“In the last meeting of the Joint Tax Board in March 2004, there was a resolution to urge the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun, to intervene on the issue of e-CMR by directing the various Police commands across the country to cease demanding this document from road users,” Yakubu Attah, the then FRSC spokesperson, said.

This report is produced as part of the DPI Africa Journalism Fellowship Programme, a collaboration between the Media Foundation for West Africa and Co-develop.