The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has initiated a comprehensive investigation into the recovery of 612 vehicles reported as stolen on the newly introduced Electronic Central Motor Registry platform.
This comes alongside the probe into over 1,610 vehicles flagged for having conflicting registration details.
The e-CMR, launched in July 2024, is an advanced online system designed to track vehicle data in real time. It serves to aid police operations in combating crimes such as terrorism, kidnapping, armed robbery, and vehicle theft.
The platform has been instrumental in recent recoveries, with one stolen vehicle being traced and returned to its owner after an alert was triggered through the system.
According to a statement released by the Force Headquarters, one of the stolen vehicles was discovered after a buyer applied for a CMR certificate.
The system flagged the car as stolen, leading to an investigation that revealed the vehicle had been re-registered twice in an attempt to obscure its stolen status.
“Two weeks ago, the IGP directed an immediate investigation to recover a second batch of 612 vehicles reported or flagged as stolen on the e-CMR platform,” the statement read. “Additionally, 1,610 vehicles with conflicting registration information have been referred for investigation.”
The police further confirmed that three out of the seven stolen vehicles reported in an earlier batch had been recovered, including one that was stolen in Abuja and found in Ilorin, Kwara State.
The vehicle was returned to Abuja over the weekend and handed back to its rightful owner.
The police explained that the owner had reported the vehicle as stolen via the Stolen Vehicle Portal, which allowed the system to raise an alert when the new buyer applied for a CMR certificate.
“This discovery prompted a police investigation, which led to the vehicle’s recovery,” the statement continued.
“The vehicle had been re-registered twice by the criminals, an attempt to completely eliminate any trace of it. It’s comparable to money laundering.”
A syndicate specializing in vehicle theft has since been dismantled, and one suspect has been arrested. The suspect will face charges once the investigation is completed.
The police also highlighted ongoing collaboration with other agencies to strengthen security measures for vehicle owners nationwide.
