A 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 activities on township roads in Kano unlawful.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice M. S. Shuaibu held that FRSC officials acted beyond their statutory powers when they stopped, questioned and delayed motorists on roads within Kano metropolis in July 2025.
The court ruled that the commission’s actions violated the constitutional rights of citizens 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 the commission’s operations on state roads after he was stopped and questioned by FRSC operatives despite committing no traffic offence.
Justice Shuaibu granted the key reliefs sought by the applicant, including a perpetual injunction restraining FRSC officers from stopping, harassing or interfering with motorists on Kano State roads without lawful authority.
The court also ordered the commission to publish a public apology in a national newspaper and awarded Hikima N800,000 in damages and costs.
The dispute arose in July 2025 when FRSC operatives mounted checkpoints on township roads in Kano, demanding drivers’ licences and questioning motorists without any primary traffic violation.
Hikima argued that the FRSC exceeded the powers granted to it by law, maintaining that the commission’s mandate is limited to federal highways and does not extend to roads under the control of state or local governments.
The judgment affirms that the commission cannot enforce its powers on state and local government roads without the requisite legal authority.
