The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Kano Sector Command, has announced plans to appeal the Federal High Court judgment in Kano that prohibited its personnel from carrying out enforcement duties on state and local government roads, limiting its operations solely to federal highways.
The decision was delivered on Thursday by Justice M. S. Shuaibu following a lawsuit instituted by Barrister Abba Hikima, a legal practitioner based in Kano.
Hikima approached the court after alleging that FRSC operatives mounted checkpoints on township roads in Kano in July 2025, where they reportedly stopped motorists despite the absence of any traffic violations.
In his judgment, Justice Shuaibu ruled that FRSC personnel exceeded the powers granted to them by law by operating on state roads, holding that the actions infringed on citizens’ constitutional rights to personal liberty and freedom of movement under Sections 35 and 41 of the 1999 Constitution.
The court granted all the reliefs sought by Hikima, including a perpetual injunction restraining FRSC from operating on state and local government roads in Kano, an order directing the corps to publish a public apology in a national newspaper, and an award of ₦800,000 in damages and costs.
Reacting to the judgment, the FRSC, through CRC Abdullahi Aliyu Labaran, Public Education Officer to the Sector Commander, stated that although the Corps respects the authority of the judiciary, the ruling has been widely misunderstood in public discussions.
The Corps stressed that the ruling does not abolish its statutory powers under the FRSC Establishment Act, 2007, but only limits its jurisdiction in Kano to federal highways.
It identified key federal routes within its operational jurisdiction to include the Kano–Zaria Road, Kano–Katsina Road, Kano–Maiduguri Road, Kano Western Bypass, Airport Road, and Murtala Mohammed Way.
The Command also raised concerns over social media messages urging motorists to challenge its patrol teams, warning that such conduct could trigger confrontations, disturb public peace, and put lives at risk.
FRSC further argued that its defence was not adequately considered during the proceedings, hence its decision to appeal.
Pending the appeal, the corps assured residents that it would continue to perform its responsibilities professionally and within the law on federal roads across Kano.
It urged motorists to cooperate with its personnel and avoid being misled by what it called “online interpretations” of the ruling.
