FRSC has powers to operate on FCT roads, Appeal Court rules

The Court of Appeal, yesterday, upheld the judgment of a Federal High Court that the Federal Road Safety Commission’s (FRSC) officials can operate on all roads in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

Justice Okon Abang of the appellate court, while reading the judgment in appeal no: CA/ABJ/CV/243 /2022, filed by a lawyer, Igwe Onyesom Ugochukwu, against the FRSC, Dr. Lawal Akeem O. and Dr. Isaac Nwokeukwu (1st to 3rd respondents), held that the law covers corps.

Following his altercation with FRSC officials, which led to the seizing of his car for violating traffic rules, the appellant sued FRSC at the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on March 9, 2021, before Justice A. I. Chikere, but lost out.

Dissatisfied, the appellant’s lawyer, Austine Ogezi, urged the appellate court to set aside the lower court’s judgment and hold that it was wrong to hold that the FRSC can operate on all public roads, including Shehu Shagari way inside the FCT, Abuja.

“The appellant alleged that officers of FRSC stopped him before traffic, on a road inside the city of Abuja, just before the Federal Ministry of Justice, alleging that he violated a traffic light on February 19, 2022.

“The Appellant was ordered to park by the roadside, which he did, while the officers of the 1st respondent, who accosted him, requested for his car particulars.

“Suspecting that the 1st respondent’s officers were trying to extort him, the Appellant insisted that he should be taken to a traffic tribunal or any other court of competent jurisdiction to determine his criminal liability, which the officers of 1st respondent agreed.”