Nigerians across the country are raising serious concerns over what they describe as the uneven and often abusive conduct of federal law enforcement agencies—particularly the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)—with accusations of regional bias and nuisance activities concentrated in the South-West and other southern regions.
A growing chorus of commuters, civil society groups, and road users say federal agencies that should serve national interests operate with excessive presence and unchecked authority in southern states, especially in the South-West, while maintaining minimal or cautious activity in many parts of the North, particularly the North-West and North-East.
The FRSC has emerged as a key focus of criticism. Many accuse its officers of frequent extortion, excessive roadblocks, and creating traffic bottlenecks. Numerous motorists complain that checkpoints—sometimes involving not just the FRSC but Customs, Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO), Police, and even the NDLEA—are set up in close proximity, often in violation of the mandated one-kilometer spacing.
“We face FRSC, Customs, VIO, Police, and sometimes NDLEA — all within short distances on the same route,” lamented Mr. Tunde Aina, a commercial driver in Ibadan. “They extort money from us in the name of checking papers. But my colleagues driving northern routes don’t face half of this harassment.”
Social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and TikTok are awash with videos and testimonies from Nigerians detailing negative encounters with FRSC officers. Common complaints include arbitrary vehicle seizures, forced bribes, unprofessional conduct, and in some cases, physical intimidation.
“I was stopped on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway for not having a fire extinguisher. The officers insisted on a ₦15,000 cash payment or impounding my vehicle,” said Chukwuemeka Okonkwo, a commercial driver. “They weren’t interested in safety — just money.”
Another motorist, Halima Yusuf from Abuja, recounted being forced to transfer money to an officer’s personal account after being threatened with arrest for a nonexistent offense.
Critics say such behavior indicates that the agency is veering from its mandate of promoting road safety and is instead evolving into a revenue-generating entity. “Their presence on highways does more to slow down traffic than make roads safer,” said civil rights advocate Tunde Bakare.
Residents also argue that the over-concentration of these federal agencies in the South is contributing to economic strain, transport delays, and sometimes fatal road confrontations. Viral footage in recent months has shown altercations between FRSC officers and motorists, with several incidents resulting in injuries or vehicle damage.
“There is no justification for running a federal system where some regions are over-policed by federal agencies while others are largely spared,” said lawyer and rights activist Dele Farotimi. “It reflects a deeper systemic injustice.”
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria recorded over 10,000 road crashes in 2024—among the highest rates in sub-Saharan Africa—raising serious questions about the effectiveness of the FRSC’s enforcement strategies.
Efforts to obtain official comments from the FRSC and the NCS were unsuccessful as at the time of filing this report. However, a senior official in one of the agencies who requested anonymity admitted that “security concerns” and “logistical limitations” often dictate operational deployment, especially in northern regions.
Still, many Nigerians believe such reasoning does not justify the imbalance. “If they can’t operate equally in every state, then their mandate should be reassessed,” said Gloria Ojo, a public interest lawyer. “The institution itself may not be the problem, but the conduct of its officers is damaging public trust.”
In the wake of widespread public outcry, civil society organizations are calling on the National Assembly and the Federal Executive Council to launch an independent investigation into the operations of federal agencies nationwide. Proposed reforms include digital traffic enforcement, body cameras for officers, enhanced training, and the establishment of a clear grievance redress system.
For now, the presence of FRSC or other federal agents on southern highways is more likely to evoke fear than a sense of public order—fueling calls for urgent and meaningful reform.
