BEVERLY HILLS, CA, October 24, (THEWILL) – The House of Representatives Thursday mandated its committees on Police Affairs, Federal Road Safety, and Justice to investigate the desirability of the Biometric Central Motor Registration Scheme, BCMR, by the Nigerian Police Force. The Committee is expected to report back to the House in two weeks.
This followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Hassan Saleh (PDP, Benue), who observed that the recent BCMR scheme conducted by the Nigerian Police required motorists to pay a sum of N3,500 and N1,500 for owners of cars and motorcycles respectively so as to have their biometric data captured, which, they claim, would assist in fighting crime in the country.
Leading debate on the motion, Saleh expressed concern on the over-zealousness of the police, noting that the prevailing crime rate in the country “cannot be used as justification for the scheme it is seeking to implement as the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, is capturing the biometric data of all motorists in the country.”
He argued that “Ordinarily, any measure that will enhance security of lives and property ought to be welcomed. However, it is sad to note that this venture by the Nigeria Police is most unnecessary and government owes Nigerians the sacred duty to protect them from any form of explanation.”
The lawmaker lamented that “while Nigerians are grappling with how to come to terms with the high cost of obtaining the new driver’s license and renew their old number plates whose cost is on high side, the Nigeria Police pretends to be unaware that the Federal Road Safety is presently collating biometric details of all motorists in the country.”
In his contribution, Hon. Nasir Ali Ahmed (APC, Kano), expressed concern “that what the Nigerian Police is seeking to do, is merely to duplicate what the FRSC is doing, whereas the Police can conveniently key into it without taxing the already over-taxed citizens and yet not going far in keeping our roads safe. ”
It would be recalled that the Nigerian Police Force has repeatedly tried to re-introduce the scheme in 2011 and 2012 respectively.
When the matter was put to question, it was unanimously adopted.
By Saint Mugaga, Abuja
