A Federal High Court in Lagos has issued a ruling restraining the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) from impounding vehicles with faded number plates or imposing fines on drivers for the same reason.
The judgment, delivered on Friday by Justice Akintayo Aluko, followed a suit filed by legal practitioner Chinwike Ezebube on February 13, 2024, challenging the legality of FRSC’s actions on faded number plates.
Ezebube argued that the FRSC, as the sole designer and producer of vehicle number plates in Nigeria under the Federal Road Safety Commission Act 2007, should bear responsibility for the quality and durability of the number plates it produces.
The lawyer sought clarity on whether the FRSC could penalize citizens for using faded number plates, which he attributed to the poor quality of the materials used during production. Ezebube also requested the court to mandate the FRSC to replace faded number plates at no cost to vehicle owners.
In response, B.O. Nnamani, counsel to the FRSC, filed a counter affidavit asking the court to dismiss the case with punitive costs.
In his ruling, Justice Aluko declared that the FRSC lacked the authority to criminalize the use of faded number plates or impose fines without the backing of a court order.
“While the defendant cannot criminalize the use of faded vehicle number plates, the plaintiff has a duty to approach the defendant for a replacement of his faded vehicle number plate upon payment of the requisite fees for that purpose,” Aluko stated.
The court granted several orders, including:
- Restricting the FRSC from declaring the use of faded number plates as an offence.
- Restricting the FRSC from imposing fines or punishment for driving with a faded number plate.
- Directing the plaintiff to approach the FRSC for the replacement of his faded number plate (LSD905EQ) upon payment of a reasonable fee.
