FRSC Marshal Advocates Arming Officers to Strengthen Highway Safety Enforcement

By Ademola Adekusibe
September 25, 2025

Abuja, Nigeria — The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Shehu Mohammed, has suggested that equipping road safety personnel with firearms may be the only way to guarantee effective enforcement of traffic regulations across Nigeria’s highways.

Speaking during a media interaction, Mohammed highlighted the growing challenges officers face in managing heavy-duty vehicles and overcrowded passenger trucks.

“How do you stop a trailer or a tanker on the road? How do you just do that? It’s very, very difficult,” he said. “A truck, especially one carrying up to 100 passengers and animals, cannot be safely controlled by a patrol team of just four officers. That is the reality we deal with daily.”

The Corps Marshal explained that the absence of enforcement tools undermines the authority of FRSC officers, making compliance with road safety rules harder to achieve.

“It (gun) will support,” he said. “If you don’t have the power to enforce anything, there’s no way you can achieve that enforcement.”

Mohammed also admitted that the Corps continues to grapple with internal challenges, including cases of corruption and misconduct among officers. According to him, more dismissals and terminations of staff have been recorded in recent times over issues related to bribery.

The proposal to arm FRSC officers has, however, stirred debate among stakeholders, with concerns over the risks of abuse of firearms and the need for improved training, logistics, and technology as alternative solutions to enhance enforcement on the highways.