The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has opposed a bill proposing to arm the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), citing concerns about travelers safety, regular failures within the FRSC, and the potential for abuse of power. NANS complained that the focus should be on upgrading existing FRSC operations and addressing issues like corruption and lack of resources rather than arming the agency.
In a statement on Friday in Abuja, the association’s Vice President for Inter-Campus and Gender Affairs, Sileola Akinbodunse, described the bill as a “reckless misstep that endangers commuters.”
He argued that the FRSC, established in 1988 to reduce road crashes, has struggled to deliver on its mandate.
He said highways across the country have become unsafe due to kidnapping and terrorism, with 1,200 lives lost in 2024 alone, according to FRSC data. “As students navigating these roads, NANS rejects the bill to arm the Federal Road Safety Corps, which scaled second reading in October 2024, as a reckless blunder that endangers commuters,” Akinbodunse said.
The FRSC, founded in 1988 to ensure safe motoring, is struggling to fulfil its primary assignment . NANS said: “In Q1 2025, 2,650 accidents claimed 1,593 lives, an 8.3 percent surge from 2024, exposing systemic failures in enforcement and infrastructure. “Arming an agency struggling with basic duties, like issuing driver’s licences delayed for months , defies logic and global best practices.” NANS accused the corps of bribery and unprofessionalism, citing 563 drivers who faced bribe charges in 2025, while systemic extortion allegedly siphons N50 billion yearly.
NANS added that marshals are poorly paid, earning N80,000 monthly, and are equipped with outdated tools. “Arming such a force risks replicating police excesses with over 1,000 extrajudicial killings since 2020 and further eroding public trust,” NANS said. The group called on lawmakers to halt the bill and instead invest in 5,000 new FRSC vehicles, ethics training and digital licensing systems. “With over 80 million Nigerian youths yearning for safety, per NBS 2025, we demand policies that humanise students and commuters, not militarise their journeys,” the statement said.
The group also cited allegations of extortion involving FRSC officials, coupled with poor remuneration and outdated equipment, as evidence that the corps needs reform, not firearms.
