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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.
Online poll
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.”
Civil societies kick
A civic tech organisation, Urban Alert, also described the move as a misplaced priority by lawmakers.
According to the organisation, rather than arming road safety officials, the lawmakers should focus on restoring the corps’ integrity and ensuring that officials perform their duties without resorting to bribery.
The Team Lead of Urban Alert, Anthony Adejuwon, in an interview with Sunday PUNCH, said, “FRSC officials have been tormenting and threatening road users even without guns. If they are armed, they may become uncontrollable and could wreak havoc, similar to the police brutality being recorded across Nigeria.
“Allowing the FRSC to carry arms may push Nigeria towards becoming a firearms-permissive society, where every military and paramilitary body relies on arms to perform their duties.
“The bill should focus on creating a framework that ensures only qualified and sane individuals drive on our roads. By implementing stricter driver’s licensing protocols, swift sanctions, and other strategies, the FRSC will regain its honour, and its officials can safely perform their duties.”
However, the Executive Director of the Civil Liberty Organisation (Northern Region), Steve Aluko, argued that there was nothing wrong with FRSC officers bearing arms as long as proper mechanisms are put in place to prevent abuses.
“There is nothing wrong with road safety officers carrying guns, considering the level of insecurity in the country. They can be deployed for security purposes in challenging circumstances.
“But they must test the psychological stability of the officers before arming them, and once they are armed, mechanisms must be in place to prevent misuse,” Aluko said.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the FRSC, Olusegun Ogungbemide, said “The bill is yet to be discussed in the FRSC.”
Netizens argue
Kenneth Chukwu, a Facebook while responding, said there would be more deaths on Nigerian roads if government goes ahead with the bill.
He wrote, “The money appropriated for road safety officers’ guns and bullets could create 10,000 jobs. When you have leaders who lack intelligence in leadership, the people suffer.”
Another user, Bricks Philipsouls, said passing the bill into law would be one of the worst decisions of the current administration.
“Many of their officers don’t have the temperament to handle guns. Secondly, the government should know that you don’t tackle insecurity by arming more people with guns but by educating citizens and creating an enabling environment for small businesses to thrive,” he insisted.
Chucs Ahiakwo also disagreed with the bill, saying, “Safety and security are distinct. Arming them will harm their safety role. They will just end up shooting people they should be protecting. This bill is misguided. We already have enough security agencies. Leave road safety as it is. Don’t turn it into road security.”
Another Facebook user, “Citizen ID, criticised the bill, stating, “The Federal Government should purchase modern mobile ambulances with life-saving medical equipment and periodically train officers through symposiums on how to respond rapidly to accident emergencies. More medical personnel should be employed in the commission.”
Yet another, Lens Hong, however, supported the bill.
He said, “Yes, I am 100 per cent in support. And please, a point of correction on this issue: A bill to create a special armed unit for the FRSC means a specialised unit within the FRSC will be armed to protect their infrastructure and formations, not to patrol with weapons.”
But Izuchukwu Ekwenze opined that the bill is unnecessary because road officers are not responsible for fighting crime. According to him, their job is to protect people from road accidents and ensure safe driving practices.
Omolehin Samuel also posted, “No right-thinking person would support such a move. Some Road Safety personnel are potential road bandits, and giving them arms would only complement their road banditry business.”
John Ogbajie added, “We don’t even need the services of road safety officers on our roads, let alone giving them guns. Firstly, most roads in Nigeria are unsafe, and road safety officers often cause accidents with their unprofessional approach to safety guidelines. Let the government fix the roads, which have become death traps, first.”
Another Facebook user, Sedowhe Hardeyemmie, said there are “better and more advanced ways” to regulate traffic activities without arms “as its done in advanced countries worldwide.”
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