A Federal High Court in Kano has ruled that the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) lacks the legal authority to enforce traffic regulations on roads under the control of state and local governments.
Gatekeepers News reports that the court held that the commission’s operations on township roads within Kano metropolis were unlawful and exceeded the powers granted to it by law.
Justice M. S. Shuaibu delivered the judgment in a fundamental rights suit filed by Kano-based lawyer Abba Hikima, who challenged the actions of FRSC personnel after they stopped, questioned and delayed motorists on township roads in July 2025. The judge 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 court granted a perpetual injunction restraining FRSC officials from stopping, harassing or interfering with motorists on Kano State roads without lawful authority. It also ordered the commission to publish a public apology in a national newspaper and awarded Hikima ₦800,000 in damages and litigation costs.
Hikima had argued that the FRSC Establishment Act empowers the commission to operate only on federal highways and does not extend its jurisdiction to roads managed by state or local governments. The judgment reinforces that position, although it applies directly to the parties involved in the case unless overturned on appeal.
