BREAKING: Court Bars FRSC From Operating on State, Local Government Roads

• A Federal High Court in Kano has ruled that the FRSC has no authority to operate on state and local government roads, ordering the commission to stop such enforcement activities, publish a public apology and pay N800,000 in damages.

The Federal High Court in Kano has ruled that the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has no legal authority to operate on state and local government roads, declaring its enforcement activities on township roads in Kano metropolis unlawful.

Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice M. S. Shuaibu held that FRSC officers acted outside their statutory powers when they stopped, questioned and delayed motorists on township roads in July 2025.

The court ruled that the commission’s actions violated the constitutional rights of motorists to personal liberty and freedom of movement, as guaranteed under Sections 35 and 41 of the 1999 Constitution.

The suit was filed by Kano-based lawyer Abba Hikima, who challenged the legality of FRSC checkpoints mounted on township roads, where motorists were allegedly stopped, questioned and asked to produce driver’s licences despite not committing any primary traffic offence.

Justice Shuaibu granted all the principal reliefs sought by the applicant, including a perpetual injunction restraining FRSC officers from stopping, harassing or interfering with motorists on state and local government roads in Kano without lawful authority.

The court also ordered the commission to publish a public apology in a national newspaper and awarded N800,000 in damages and costs to the applicant.

Hikima had argued that the FRSC’s statutory powers are limited to federal highways and do not extend to roads under the control of state or local governments.