An Ibadan-based legal practitioner, Barrister Abiodun Amole, has argued that the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, and his officers do not have the legal authority to enforce third-party insurance in Nigeria.
Speaking in an interview on Saturday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Amole described the directive by the police to enforce third-party insurance nationwide as unconstitutional.
IGP Egbetokun had earlier ordered officers across the country to begin enforcement, with the operation commencing on February 1st.
Reacting to this, Amole insisted that the move by the police was beyond their legal mandate.
“In my humble opinion, the Police lack the power to enforce the third-party insurance policy among motorists in Nigeria,” he stated.
He further explained that an insurance policy is a contractual agreement between the insurer and the insured, and it is not within the police’s jurisdiction to enforce such agreements.
“The Police cannot confer on itself the power not given to it by law, the Police Act,” Amole asserted.
Citing legal precedents, he argued that unless explicitly stated in the Police Act, the force cannot assume authority over matters not assigned to it by law.
“If it had been the intention of the legislature that the Nigeria Police should enforce the third-party insurance policy, it would have been expressly stated in the Police Act. It is not so stated and therefore cannot be read or imported into it by the police authorities under any guise whatsoever,” he said.
His remarks add to the ongoing debate on the legality of the police’s role in enforcing third-party insurance compliance among motorists.
(DAILY POST)
