The Federal High Court in Kano has ruled that the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has no legal authority to enforce traffic laws on roads under the control of the Kano State Government and its local councils.
In a judgment delivered on Thursday, July 16, 2026, Justice M. S. Shuaibu upheld a fundamental rights suit filed by Kano lawyer Abba Hikima over the agency’s activities following an encounter with its operatives in July 2025.
The court held that FRSC officers exceeded their statutory powers by stopping, questioning and delaying motorists on township roads without any established traffic offence, thereby violating the applicant’s rights to personal liberty and freedom of movement under Sections 35 and 41 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Justice Shuaibu granted all the reliefs sought, issuing a perpetual injunction restraining the FRSC from stopping, harassing or interfering with motorists on Kano State and local government roads without lawful authority.
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The court also ordered the corps to publish a public apology in a national newspaper and awarded ₦800,000 as damages and litigation costs.
The suit stemmed 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 despite no alleged traffic violation.
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 agreed, holding that the agency acted beyond its legal powers.
The ruling provides a judicial clarification on the limits of the FRSC’s enforcement jurisdiction in Kano.