Yemisi Izuora/Ijeoma Agudosi
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Sabo Police Division, Lagos
Mary Ubangha has challenged insurance companies in Nigeria to
Proactively act toward eliminating forgery of motor insurance certificates.
Ubangha, a Superintendent of Police (SP) informed operators who gathered at an event at the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB), Lagos that most accident cases handled by police reveal that motorists carry about fake certificates.
Sharing her experience, she estimated that about 90 percent of motorists obtain fake certificates and wondered why the industry has not been able to revise the situation.
She said the geometric increase in the cases of insurance fraud across the country is now a source of worry to the command and stake holders in insurance industry.
The SP pointed said the case is worse with those in possession of third party motor insurance policy.
Ubangha said the fraud is increasing on daily basis, adding that the police is embarrassed at names of non existing insurance firms it sees on the fake certificates presented by motorists at checkpoints.
She said true position of these fake certificates comes out when there is accident and the parties involved are asked to show their insurance certificates.
According to her, it is at this point that the authenticity or not of the certificates come out adding that ordinarily, vehicle owners are not supposed to exchange blows when accidents occur on the road as we see on Nigerian roads rather they should present their insurance certificates and the insurance companies involved will immediately take over the repairs of the vehicles involved.