The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has secured a legal victory as the Federal High Court in Lagos upheld its authority to penalise motorists for tampering with vehicle number plates, reaffirming the agency’s powers to enforce traffic regulations across Nigeria.
The judgement, delivered on June 23, 2025, by Justice Musa Kakaki, followed a suit filed by one Ojo Victor Olomi, who challenged the FRSC’s decision to fine him and confiscate his driver’s licence. Olomi was cited for unlawfully repainting his vehicle’s number plate by hand, thereby making it non-reflective and in violation of the National Road Traffic Regulations, 2016.
In his ruling, Justice Kakaki dismissed Olomi’s claims, stating that the applicant had clearly breached traffic laws. The court affirmed that the reflective quality of number plates is mandated for safety, visibility, and enforcement purposes, and that the FRSC’s actions did not infringe on any fundamental rights.
The judge also clarified that the case was distinct from previous rulings that may have raised public confusion, stressing that modifying number plates by hand remains a punishable offence.
Reacting to the verdict, FRSC’s Corps Public Education Officer, Olusegun Ogungbemide, described the judgement as a landmark ruling that validates the agency’s statutory responsibilities in enforcing road safety standards.
FRSC Corps Marshal, Malam Shehu Mohammed, welcomed the judgement and urged motorists to avoid tampering with vehicle identification features. He also called on the public to disregard misleading interpretations of past rulings and pay attention to the legal clarity provided by the court.
Mohammed reaffirmed the FRSC’s commitment to ensuring safer roads and carrying out its duties with professionalism, integrity, and respect for the rights of all Nigerians.
