We recovered 1,519 stolen vehicles through e-CMR
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has blamed the number of participants and unstable Internet service in parts of the country for the unsavoury experiences of some Nigerians, who participated in the recent public auction of forfeited vehicles.
The auction was conducted by accredited auctioneers on behalf of the commission. Also, the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) recovered 1,519 stolen vehicles using the electronic Central Motor Registry (e-CMR) platform last year.
“Without making excuses for the auctioneers, it is possible that the sheer number of participants in the exercise (over four million), perhaps, stretched the carrying capacity of the online facilities of the auctioneers, while unstable Internet service in parts of the country exacerbated the challenge,” EFCC Spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said.
According to Oyewale, among the complaints received by the commission were the inability of some citizens to access the websites of the auctioneers, being shut out of the platforms after submitting bids and outrageous bid prices, among others.
He said, “Relevant departments of the commission monitored the exercise and can confirm that there were glitches. This observation was communicated to the auctioneers for remedial action.
“The commission could, however, not directly intervene while the exercise was ongoing because the process had been assigned to duly accredited and licensed auctioneers in line with provisions of Sections 4(a)(b) of the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act, 2022 and Section 55 of the Public Procurement Act, 2007.”
THE e-CMR is an online platform of vehicle data designed to support police investigations and combat vehicle-related crimes.The police requested vehicle owners to register their vehicles on the digital platform.
Force Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Muyiwa Adejobi, said the police recovered 52 vehicles since January 2024. Adejobi said the NPF was making significant progress in vehicle recovery efforts through the use of the digital platform.
The statement reads, “Efforts of the force in combating crime in various spheres cannot be over-emphasised, specifically in the area of vehicle theft, as the NPF recorded the successful recovery of 1,519 vehicles in the last year.
“So far, in January 2025, the force has recorded the recovery of 52 vehicles, while many stolen vehicles are being investigated for recovery. This success was made easy due to the cooperation of the public using the e-CMR portal.”
