The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Shehu Mohammed, has issued a stern warning over growing misconduct among personnel, citing rising cases of bribery, drug abuse, absenteeism, and incivility as major threats to the agency’s credibility and public trust.
Speaking at the 2025 Half-Year Strategy Session in Abuja on Wednesday, Mohammed urged commanding officers to take urgent steps to root out unethical behavior and reinforce discipline. This year’s session carried the theme: “Driving Change from Within: Reinforcing Integrity, Accountability, and Performance.”
“Reports reveal that our enforcement operations are being compromised by patrol misconduct, rising indiscipline, bribery and corruption, poor oversight, drug abuse, and growing incivility toward motorists,” Mohammed lamented.
“These issues weaken our internal control systems and tarnish our image in the eyes of the public. We cannot ignore them.”
He stressed that commanders must take ownership of their team’s behavior and actively manage emerging threats to morale, accountability, and professionalism.
“We must restore discipline by enforcing the chain of command, identifying behavioral changes early, and applying appropriate sanctions,” he said.
Mohammed also decried a “culture of compromise” and called for an ethical reset within the organization, emphasizing the need to reward high performance and penalize misconduct to rebuild public confidence.
With dwindling government funding, the FRSC boss encouraged officers to pursue strategic partnerships—particularly with state governments—to maintain operational efficiency.
Despite internal challenges, Mohammed celebrated the Corps’ international recognition, including Nigeria’s win of the Kofi Annan Road Safety Award and the recent election of the country to host the Permanent Secretariat of the African Association of Road Safety Lead Agencies.
He attributed these achievements to the dedication of FRSC officers and federal support.
Legislative Reforms Ahead
Mohammed also announced that the FRSC Amendment Bill has passed the House of Representatives and is awaiting Senate approval. The bill proposes:
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Renaming the agency to Nigeria Road Safety Commission (NRSC)
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Expanding jurisdiction to all public roads
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Consolidating salaries for senior officers
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Establishing a special armed squad
“These changes aim to strengthen our institutional capacity and improve public safety outcomes,” he added.
Promotion and Collaboration Milestones
In ongoing reforms, the Corps recently promoted over 1,200 officers, including three Assistant Corps Marshals elevated to Deputy Corps Marshals, and 18 Corps Commanders promoted to ACMs.
To boost inter-agency collaboration, the FRSC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB). The agreement will enable broader safety investigations across road, rail, and air transport sectors.
NSIB Director General, Captain Alex Badeh Jr., hailed the MoU as a vital step toward nationwide transport safety and praised the FRSC for improved enforcement in recent months.
Government Commendation and Call for Action
The session was declared open by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, represented by Permanent Secretary Sanusi Danjuma. He commended the FRSC for its resilience in the face of limited resources but urged stronger efforts.
From January to May 2025, road crashes claimed 2,406 lives and injured over 33,000 people, he noted, calling for intensified enforcement and inter-agency cooperation.
“Government remains committed to supporting FRSC’s drive toward zero traffic deaths. Your adoption of digital tools like the FRSC mobile app and the National Crash Information System is commendable,” Akume said.
The 2025 mid-year strategy session concluded with a renewed push for internal reform, discipline, and innovation to safeguard Nigeria’s roads and restore public confidence in the FRSC.
