Court Affirms FRSC’s Power to Sanction Number Plate Violations, Clarifies Enforcement Authority.

Olomi was found to have broken the law by hand-painting his vehicle’s number plate, leading to enforcement action by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC). The court’s decision in his case marked a departure from an earlier ruling in Chinwike Chamberlain Ezebube v.

FRSC, which some had used to question the FRSC’s authority. However, the new judgment is being viewed by the Corps as a judicial endorsement of its enforcement powers.

In a statement on Thursday, FRSC spokesperson Olusegun Ogungbemide said the court confirmed that altering number plates is a legally recognized offence. He also clarified that confiscating Olomi’s driver’s licence did not violate his fundamental rights, as he had claimed.

Ogungbemide noted that the ruling dispelled doubts about the FRSC’s legal mandate, particularly in relation to enforcing vehicle identification laws.

“This verdict is a strong acknowledgment from the judiciary of the FRSC’s authority to implement traffic laws, especially those linked to road safety and proper vehicle identification,” Ogungbemide stated.

Responding to the outcome, FRSC Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed called on drivers to comply with traffic regulations and avoid illegal modifications to number plates.

He emphasized that the ruling should remind the public of the legal consequences of breaking traffic laws and highlight the role of compliance in promoting national road safety.

The Corps also addressed public confusion caused by earlier rulings that had been misinterpreted as limiting its powers. “We encourage the public to ignore such misleading interpretations and instead take note of the legal clarity this recent judgment provides,” Ogungbemide added.