FRSC Lauds Court Ruling On Number Plate Enforcement

The Federal Road Safety Corps has lauded a recent ruling by the Federal High Court in Lagos, which affirmed its authority to enforce regulations relating to vehicle number plates.

The corps described the decision as a landmark judgment that reinforces its statutory mandate and brings much-needed clarity to its enforcement powers.

According to a statement signed by the corps spokesperson, Olusegun Ogungbemide, on Thursday, the ruling was delivered on June 23, 2025, by Justice Musa Kakaki, who dismissed a suit filed by one Ojo Olomi. The applicant had challenged the legality of a fine imposed on him and the confiscation of his driver’s licence by FRSC officials.

PUNCH Online reports that he had been arrested for allegedly hand-painting his vehicle’s number plate, a practice the Corps deems a violation of the National Road Traffic Regulations, 2016.

By hand-painting his number plate, Olomi was found to have violated these provisions, prompting enforcement action by the Corps.

The judgment distinguished itself from an earlier decision in Chinwike Chamberlain Ezebube v. FRSC, which had been cited by some to question the FRSC’s enforcement authority. The latest ruling, however, is seen by the corps as a judicial affirmation of its role.

The FRSC welcomed the judgement, stating that it not only upheld the legality of the penalty but also provided legal clarity on the offence of altering number plates.