FRSC to appeal judgment against its jurisdiction, insists ruling does not affect federal highways

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Kano State has filed an appeal against a Federal High Court judgment limiting its enforcement powers, saying the ruling does not stop its operations on federal highways in the state.

In a statement issued on Saturday and signed by the Sector Public Education Officer, CRC Abdullahi Aliyu Labaran, the command said it was compelled to clarify the content of the judgment after lawyer Abba Hikima and several social media commentaries had misrepresented the scope of the ruling.

Recall that on Thursday, Justice M. S. Shuaibu ruled in favour of lawyer Hikima, who sued the Corps after its personnel allegedly stopped and delayed him on a township road in July 2025.

The court held that the Corps has no legal authority to conduct enforcement on roads controlled by the Kano State Government or local government councils.

The court also directed the Corps to tender a public apology to Hikima in a national newspaper and awarded him N800,000 in damages and costs.

In the statement, the command, however, said it respects the judiciary and remains a law-abiding institution, but maintained that the judgment does not remove its statutory powers.

“The FRSC derives its powers from the FRSC (Establishment) Act, 2007, and remains legally mandated to enforce traffic laws, prevent road traffic crashes, rescue crash victims, and ensure the safety of road users on Federal Roads across the Federation,” it held.

It maintained that its jurisdiction in Kano covers major federal routes, including Kano–Zaria Road, Kano–Katsina Road, Kano–Maiduguri Road, Kano–Hadejia Road, Kano Western Bypass, Kano–Gumel Road, Sharada–Madobi Road, Eastern Bypass, IBB–Katsina Road, BUK Road, Airport Road, Murtala Mohammed Way–Hadejia Road, Ibrahim Taiwo Road, Aminu Kano Way, Gwarzo Road and other designated federal highways.

The command said its defence was not considered during the proceedings and described this as a “serious procedural issue”, while disclosing that it has initiated the process of appeal.

The Corps also cautioned against social media posts urging motorists to confront personnel, saying such narratives are misleading and could incite resistance to lawful authority while endangering road users and officers.

Pending the outcome of the appeal, the Corps said it would continue to carry out its duties “with professionalism, civility and respect for the rights of all road users”, particularly on federal highways in Kano.

It urged the public to cooperate with duly identified FRSC personnel, remain law-abiding and avoid actions that could obstruct law enforcement or disrupt public order.

The Corps reiterated its mandate to ensure safer roads and reduce crashes in line with the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.