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 metropolis unlawful.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice M. S. Shuaibu held that FRSC officers acted outside their jurisdiction when they stopped, questioned and delayed motorists on Kano township roads in July 2025.
The court ruled that the actions violated motorists’ 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 the applicant, Kano-based lawyer Abba Hikima, including a perpetual injunction restraining FRSC officers from stopping or harassing motorists on Kano State roads without lawful authority.
Justice Shuaibu also ordered the commission to publish a public apology in a national newspaper and awarded Hikima N800,000 in damages and costs.
The suit stemmed from an incident in July 2025 when Hikima challenged FRSC checkpoints on township roads, arguing that the commission’s statutory powers are limited to federal highways and do not extend to state or local government roads.
