A FEDERAL High Court sitting in Kano has barred the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) from operating on roads under the control of the state and local governments.
News Point Nigeria reports that the court also declared the activities of the FRSC on township roads within Kano metropolis unlawful, holding that such operations violate the fundamental rights of citizens.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice M.S. Shuaibu ruled in favour of Abba Hikima, a Kano-based lawyer who instituted legal action against the FRSC over its activities in July 2025.
The judge held that officers of the corps acted beyond the powers conferred on them by law when they stopped, questioned and delayed motorists on township roads.
According to the court, the actions of the FRSC amounted to a violation of the constitutional rights to personal liberty and freedom of movement guaranteed under Sections 35 and 41 of the 1999 Constitution.
Justice Shuaibu consequently granted all the reliefs sought by Hikima, including a perpetual injunction restraining personnel of the FRSC from stopping, harassing or interfering with motorists on Kano State roads without lawful authority.
The court also directed the FRSC to publish a public apology in a national newspaper and awarded the applicant N800,000 as damages and litigation costs.
The suit arose from an incident in July 2025 when FRSC operatives mounted checkpoints on township roads in Kano and stopped motorists, including Hikima, demanding to inspect their driver’s licences and questioning them despite the absence of any primary traffic offence.
Following the incident, Hikima approached the Federal High Court, alleging that the corps had unlawfully infringed on his fundamental rights.
He argued that the statutory mandate of the FRSC is limited to federal highways and does not extend to roads under the control of state and local governments.
In its ruling, the court agreed with the applicant’s submissions and held that the corps had exceeded the scope of its legal authority in carrying out operations on township roads within Kano metropolis.
