By Theodore Opara

A growing wave of public outrage has erupted across the country as mounting evidence reveals widespread bribery among officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

Motorists and transport stakeholders allege that the culture of extortion at checkpoints is not only tarnishing the agency’s credibility but actively contributing to Nigeria’s alarming rate of road traffic crashes.

For years, the FRSC was regarded as a symbol of road discipline and safety advocacy. But recent reports and testimonies from commercial drivers paint a different picture-one in which uniformed officials routinely demand bribes from motorists in exchange for overlooking safety violations, expired documents, and overloaded vehicles.

“They no longer check your papers or whether your vehicle is roadworthy,” said Musa Abdullahi, a commercial bus driver on the Abuja-Lokoja expressway.

“Once you settle them with N500 or N1000, they wave you on. Sometimes they even tell you how much to bring.”

One of the drivers plying Lagos to Rivers (Port Harcourt), Bayelsa, Edo and Delta states who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity for fear of being victimised, said, “The FRSC officials, as a standard, collect N500 at every check point. You either pay or remain at the checkpoint for hours.
Another driver said on every trip, they had to set aside N8,000 to settle officials of FRSC.

“The Nigeria Police and Federal Road Safety Corps are killing us. It is now a business venture. They collect this money as if the government doesn’t pay them salaries,” he said.

Concerned stakeholders note that when vehicles with faulty brakes, worn tyres, or overloaded with passengers are allowed to continue their journey unchecked, this often results in accidents that claim lives.

According to the World Health Organization, Nigeria ranks among countries with the highest road traffic death rates globally.

In 2024 alone, over 9,000 people were reportedly killed in road crashes, with many incidents linked to vehicle defects, driver recklessness, and poor enforcement of safety laws.

Stakeholders have therefore called for digital monitoring, including body cameras for FRSC officers, the installation of dashcams at checkpoints, and the automation of more road safety services to reduce physical contact between officers and road users.

“There must be systemic reform. We need independent oversight, transparency in enforcement, and retraining of officers,” said Comrade Musa Lawal, an official of the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Ojodu, Lagos. “Lives are being lost, and we can’t continue like this.”

Analysts say the FRSC’s failure to sustainably discipline corrupt officials is further eroding public trust.
A 2023 internal audit, leaked earlier this year, revealed that disciplinary action was taken in less than 15% of bribery complaints lodged against officers.

Civil society groups are now calling for a full-scale overhaul of the Corps.

The anti-corruption group Transparency Nigeria has demanded the establishment of an independent monitoring unit to investigate and prosecute errant officials.

“Bribery on the road is not just a nuisance-it’s a killer,” said Aisha Lawal, the group’s Executive Director.
“Every time a road safety officer collects money instead of enforcing the law, lives are put at risk.”

In response to the growing backlash, FRSC spokesperson Olusegun Ogungbemide admitted that some marshals were recalled over allegations of bribery during their patrol operations and placed under investigation.

He said, “There is no gain reiterating the fact that bribery and corruption have seeped into the fabric of the nation and the Corps being part of the national formation is not exempting itself from the stains of sharp practices.

“However, what is more important is that the management of the Corps has never folded its arms in fighting the surge.”

Recall that in 2021, a joint surveillance team was created and in just two swoops, 70 FRSC personnel were apprehended.

But it does appear the action was not sustained.

Until a decisive action is taken, drivers say they will continue to witness the slow unraveling of an institution once tasked with saving lives-now, in many eyes, complicit in endangering them.

“It’s not just a matter of money,” he added. “It’s about lives. And those lives are being wasted every day.”