Court bars FRSC from operating on Kano township roads

… awards lawyer N800,000 damages

A Federal High Court in Kano has ruled that the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has no constitutional or statutory authority to operate on Kano State township roads, declaring that its routine stops, questioning and harassment of motorists on non-federal roads violate fundamental rights.

The landmark judgment was delivered by Justice M. S. Shuaibu in a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Kano-based lawyer Abba Hikima against the FRSC and its Kano State Command.

The suit challenged the legality of the Corps’ operations on state and local government roads within the Kano metropolis.

In his judgment, Justice Shuaibu held that, under the current state of the law, the FRSC and its officers lack the legal authority to stop, question or delay motorists on roads that are not federal highways.

The court found that the actions of FRSC personnel, who stopped and interrogated Hikima on 1 and 2 July 2025 without any primary traffic offence or lawful justification, violated his fundamental right to personal liberty as guaranteed under Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution.

Justice Shuaibu further ruled that the practice of mounting roadblocks on township roads to stop, interrogate, harass, delay or impound vehicles belonging to members of the public constitutes a breach of the rights to personal liberty and freedom of movement guaranteed under Sections 35 and 41 of the Constitution.

Consequently, the court granted a perpetual injunction restraining the FRSC, its officers, agents and privies from stopping, harassing, interrogating or delaying the applicant or any other motorist on Kano State roads without lawful authority.

The court also ordered the FRSC to publish a public apology to Hikima in at least one national daily newspaper for what it described as his unlawful detention and harassment.

In addition, Justice Shuaibu awarded ₦800,000 in general damages and costs in favour of the applicant.

Reacting to the judgment, Hikima described the ruling as “a landmark victory for the rule of law”, saying it reaffirmed that law enforcement agencies must operate strictly within the limits of the Constitution and their enabling laws.

He said the decision was not a personal triumph but “a victory for every law-abiding motorist subjected to unlawful stops and harassment on roads where the FRSC has no legal jurisdiction.”