The Court of Appeal in Asaba, Delta State, has upheld the judgment of the Federal High Court in Warri, stating that the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) is only permitted to operate on federal roads. The appeal filed by FRSC against the Federal High Court’s decision was dismissed by the appellate court.
The Federal High Court’s judgment, delivered on January 25, 2019, favored the plaintiff, a member of the NBA Warri, and declared that FRSC has no authority to operate on state and local government roads. The court also issued restraining orders preventing the Commission from operating on roads other than federal highways and imposed a cost of N10 million against FRSC.
The plaintiff’s lawyer, Mr. Kunle Edun, praised both the trial and appellate courts for their adherence to the proper interpretation of the law. He emphasized that the judgment clarifies that FRSC personnel have no right to be on roads inside cities and towns, except federal highways, as their operations on such roads are deemed illegal and mainly aimed at extorting road users.
Edun further highlighted that the judgment underscores the federal structure of the country, as FRSC, being a federal agency, should focus solely on federal roads.
