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With the recovery of 1,519 vehicles made easy with the use of the Central Motor Registry Portal (e-CMR), the Nigeria Police Force has reiterated its commitment to emplacing e-policing strategies to curb vehicle-related crimes and enhance its crime-fighting capabilities.
The Force spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi, said in a statement on Thursday, that such e-policing strategies as the Police Rescue Me App, Police VGS emergency App and the reactivation of the
e-CMR have collectively enhanced the Force’s crime-fighting capabilities and created an effective policing system for all citizens across Nigeria.
The Electronic Central Motor Registry (e-CMR) is a digitalized repository of licenced motor vehicles in the country, as provided for in the law.
He said that in addition to the recovery of 1,519 vehicles in 2024, another 52 were recovered within the month of January 2025 while many stolen vehicles are being investigated for recovery, due to the cooperation of the public using the e-CMR portal.
Adejobi listed the successes recorded since the initiative began to include enhanced provision of information into the database by genuine vehicle owners, with over 400,000 vehicles registered, as well as instant reporting of vehicle theft (1,011 stolen vehicles reported).
He added that In October 2024, 3 vehicles reported stolen on the platform were recovered in different parts of the country. One of the recovered vehicles was handed over to its elated owner at the Force Headquarters; and recently, 2 stolen vehicles were recovered in Kano State through the
e-CMR platform. He added that 5,877 vehicles with conflicting information are currently being investigated.
Adejobi further disclosed that a Toyota Highlander stolen in 2021 was recovered by the Police last week in Enugu State and is presently in Police custody in Abuja.
According to him, the owner learnt about the Nigeria Police’s Stolen Vehicle Report Portal https://reportcmr.npf.gov.ng and reported the theft two years after incident. The vehicle had been 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, while the “seller/receiver and buyer will have their date in court soon”.
Adejobi said that a module that uses USSD functionality is being developed to assist Nigerians verify the status of a vehicle, and will be deployed as soon as connectivity with mobile telecom operators is concluded.
To provide vehicle information to the Nigeria Police, owners are to visit https://cmris.npf.gov.ng and to provide information of a stolen vehicle, owners are to visit https://reportcmr.npf.gov.ng
“The IGP has reiterated that the Nigeria Police Force will continue to invest in and adopt 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”, Adejobi stated.