HURIWA Slams Police Over CMRIS Certificates as Court Halts Tinted Glass Enforcement

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has criticised the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for insisting on issuing the Central Motor Information System (CMRIS) certificate to motorists, describing the move as “ridiculous and unconstitutional.”

The condemnation came shortly after the Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State, ordered the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to suspend enforcement of tinted glass permits nationwide. The interim order was issued Friday during the hearing of Suit No. FHC/WR/CS/103/2025 filed by lawyer John Aikpokpo-Martins against the IGP and the NPF.

In a statement, HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, accused the police of abandoning their core duty of fighting crime and instead turning into a “revenue-generating agency.” He argued that under Nigeria’s 2025 tax reform laws, only the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) is empowered to collect federal taxes and non-tax revenues.

“It is absurd that at a time insecurity and violent crimes plague the country, the police created to enforce law and order have become tax collectors. Any such certificate issued by the NPF without legal backing is illegal, null, and void,” the statement read.

HURIWA urged President Bola Tinubu to direct the police to focus on tackling organised crime, kidnappings, and insurgency instead of pursuing revenue collection.