Nigerians to National Assembly: Reject bill to arm FRSC

FRSC officers

Nigerians have rejected the bill seeking to grant personnel of the Federal Road Safety Commission the right to bear arms, Sunday PUNCH reports.

They described it as a move that could endanger the lives of drivers, passengers, and other road users.

On October 10, 2024, the House of Representatives passed the bill to create a special armed squad for the FRSC for the second reading.

Jointly sponsored by Abiodun Adesida (Ondo) and Olaide Lateef (Oyo), the bill seeks to amend the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) Act 2007, to enhance the agency’s operations.

The bill, which has been committed to the House Committee on FRSC for further legislation, follows comments made a year ago by a former Corps Marshal, Dauda Biu. He stated that FRSC personnel needed to carry firearms due to increasing security challenges across the country.

At the time, Biu noted that arming FRSC officers would protect personnel, who were often attacked by criminals and some road users.

Sunday PUNCH set up a poll across social media platforms of PUNCH Online, seeking responses from users on their disposition towards the bill.

As of 6.30pm on Saturday, approximately nine hours after the question was posted on the PUNCH Facebook page, there had been over 1,000 comments and 496 likes, with most respondents calling for the dismissal of the bill.

On X (formerly Twitter), the poll had garnered 1,115 votes with 56,000 views.  92 per cent of respondents disagreed with the proposed bill, while only eight per cent supported the bill.

About 394 Instagram users had also commented with 441 people liking the post. Most of those who commented rejected the bill.

Drivers reject bill

Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, the President of the Joint Drivers Association of Nigeria, Akintade Abiodun, urged the House of Representatives to drop the bill in the interest of public safety.

According to him, curbing traffic offences, which is the FRSC’s core duty, does not require firearms. He warned that arming the officers could pose a danger to road users.

He said, “We disagree with the bill, and it should be dropped. What do road safety officers need guns for? We have been obeying them without guns, so there is no need for them to be armed. They are bound to abuse or misuse the guns, thereby endanger the lives of road users, especially drivers and passengers.

“All members of the Joint Drivers Association of Nigeria are law-abiding citizens, and we have been respecting and obeying road safety officers. So, I see no reason for them to carry guns. They just want to complicate the problems of this country because they are bound to abuse it.

“Drivers are not criminals; any misconduct is usually within the realm of traffic offences. Why do you need to curb traffic offences with guns? Whose interests are they protecting?”

Also, the Secretary of the Park Management System in Oyo State, Kasali Ajisafe, condemned the bill, describing it as a bad idea.

“Why should road safety officers be using guns? There is no need for it. We reject the bill because it is dangerous. If road safety officers carry guns, they could end up killing innocent people. It is not safe for drivers, passengers, or other road users,” he stated.

A vehicle owner, Akin Akanji, questioned the timing of the bill given the ongoing economic hardship.

He said, “Is that really important to discuss right now? Why are our lawmakers so insensitive to our plight? We are facing hardship; people are dying of hunger, and many are sick and unable to afford drugs. Yet, lawmakers think it’s a priority to give guns to road safety officers, who could become a threat to us. That’s thoughtless.” Punch