The Federal High Court in Kano has restrained the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) from operating on state and local government roads in Kano State, ruling that its activities on township roads within the Kano metropolis are unlawful.
In a judgment delivered on Thursday, Justice M.S. Shuaibu held that the corps acted outside its statutory powers by stopping, questioning and delaying motorists on township roads.
The court ruled in favour of Kano-based lawyer Abba Hikima, who filed the suit in July 2025, arguing that the FRSC had unlawfully violated his fundamental rights.
Justice Shuaibu held that the corps’ actions infringed the applicant’s constitutional rights to personal liberty and freedom of movement, as guaranteed under Sections 35 and 41 of the 1999 Constitution.
The court granted all the reliefs sought by Hikima, including a perpetual injunction restraining FRSC personnel from stopping, harassing or interfering with motorists on state and local government roads in Kano without lawful authority.
The judge also ordered the FRSC to publish a public apology in a national newspaper and awarded the applicant N800,000 in damages and 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 driver’s licences and questioning them despite the absence of any primary traffic offence.
Hikima argued that the FRSC’s statutory mandate is limited to federal highways and does not extend to state or local government roads. The court upheld his claims, finding that the corps had exceeded the scope of its legal authority.
