The Centre for Human Rights Advocacy and Wholesome Society (CEHRAWS) has decried alleged roadside extortion and judicial usurpation by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) officials at Ubakala junction, Umuahia.
CEHRAWS said it is compelled to draw public attention to disturbing reports regarding the operational conduct of the FRSC along the Enugu–Port Harcourt Express Road, near the Ubakala junction in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, to avoid unforeseen ugly incidents.
The group said that while Nigerian law recognises the role of mobile courts in ensuring speedy trials of traffic offences, recent developments at the Ubakala axis expose how an otherwise lawful mechanism has allegedly been converted into a tool for harassment and exploitation.
Executive Director of CEHRAWS, Chuka Okoye, says that the FRSC (Establishment) Act, 2007, alongside the National Road Traffic Regulations, 2012, permits the Commission to impound vehicles in certain circumstances and arraign offenders before duly constituted mobile courts presided over by magistrates.
He said that the essence of this framework is to balance road safety with constitutional guarantees of a fair hearing under Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution.
“However, credible reports reaching CEHRAWS indicate that the so-called ‘mobile court’ set up near Ubakala junction is often manned solely by FRSC officials, with little or no presence of magistrates or court personnel.
“In such situations, motorists are allegedly “arraigned” in name only, coerced into paying arbitrary sums under the guise of fines, and threatened with indefinite impoundment of their vehicles if they resist.”
CEHRAWS said that the activities of FRSC in Ubakala are full of abuse of process and intimidation, which amounts to judicial usurpation, since only a court of law, presided over by a judicial officer, can convict or impose fines.
The group said that economic exploitation is ongoing at Ubakala, as motorists are compelled to part with money under duress, often for minor infractions such as seat belt issues, faded number plates, or paperwork delays.
CEHRAWS added that violations of constitutional rights are ongoing there because a fair hearing requires not only access to a court but access to a court properly constituted in law.
“A mobile court in form without judicial substance is nothing more than a roadside extortion point,” it said.
The group lamented that the wider implications of these acts, if left, will erode public trust in traffic enforcement, stigmatise mobile courts as tools of oppression rather than justice, and expose the Nigerian Police Force, Judiciary, and FRSC to reputational damage.
“Moreover, they undermine the very objective of traffic regulation, which is road safety—not revenue generation or harassment,” it said.
CEHRAWS hereby called on the Chief Judge of Abia State to investigate and clarify the legality of mobile court sittings near Ubakala junction and ensure that only properly constituted courts preside over traffic cases.
Making further calls, it said that “The Corps Marshal of the FRSC is to discipline officers found to be abusing their powers and to dismantle any pseudo-court structures lacking judicial oversight.
“The National Judicial Council (NJC) to provide guidelines ensuring that mobile courts are transparent, properly constituted, and free from executive interference.
“The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to monitor the situation and address reported cases of intimidation and extortion.”
CEHRAWS said that the mobile court system is not inherently unlawful, but its misuse for exploitation is an affront to justice, the constitution, and the Nigerian people.
It said it will continue to document, publicise, and pursue redress against such abuses, including through public interest litigation and media advocacy, until accountability is achieved.
