A Nigerian man, Emmanuel Ajibade, has secured a major legal victory as a court in Ondo State ordered the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Nigerian police to return his car, phone, and other personal items that were seized following his exposé of a patrol vehicle belonging to the FRSC operating with a worn-out tyre.
This was disclosed by Ajibade’s lawyer during an interview with SaharaReporters on Wednesday morning.
A source privy to the incident said Ajibade was arrested by security operatives after exposing FRSC's misconduct.
During the court proceedings, Ajibade's lawyer explained the state of the case.
He said: "The police are not ready for trial today (Wednesday). But they were pleading for another day to oblige us with proof of evidence. Despite our consistent demands for proof of evidence.
"From our part, we are ready for trial. And we could not allow today to go like that. So we had to apply for the release of all the items; the car impounded by the road safety, the phone and eyeglasses recovered from my client. So I asked the court to order the police and the road safety corps to release them.
"When I applied for the release, I referred to sections 310 and 306, 229(2) of the Ondo State Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015. The court equally heard the objection from the police and the road safety corps. They raised an objection as regards to the car. They claimed it was impounded. They alleged that there was a fine on it. And I replied on point of law that if there is any fine, I was there at their station and asked that they should tell me the amount my client should pay for the car, so that we could pay and show the court the amount we paid and the proof of payment. They denied us the payment.
“They denied us the opportunity. And I said the state commander is at the court to testify to that.
"So they denied us that opportunity, and we had to express our grievance to the court. And the court said they have no right to impound the car; rather, we should pay the fine, and they should release the car.
"The fine is for not using a seat belt, and even though there is no proof for that. But we still allowed them to let us pay the fine first and have access to our car. And if we see our car damaged, we won’t allow that.
"I later made another application that the IPO must be present during the car's release to assess its current state and the phone's content to determine whether it has been wiped out.
"The FRSC is the nominal complainant, and the police are the ones prosecuting the matter. We are planning to get the phones and other properties by 3 pm today (Wednesday), and maybe tomorrow we will get the car after the fine."
Ajibade’s ordeal began shortly after he recorded and shared a video of an FRSC patrol van operating with a visibly worn-out tyre, highlighting serious safety concerns. He voiced his concern about the state of the agency’s tyre after its officials stopped him for an alleged traffic offence. Ajibade argued that while they had the right to fine him, they should also hold themselves accountable for violating traffic laws—especially as the body tasked with upholding road safety.
The video quickly went viral, prompting an official reaction from the FRSC headquarters in Abuja.
However, a video captured the moment Ajibade was taken to the FRSC office in Akure, where he was also assaulted by some of the officials. SaharaReporters later learned that he was transferred to the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit. SWAT was established by the Nigeria Police Force in 2020 as a replacement for the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), following nationwide #EndSARS protests against police brutality.
In response to the public backlash, the FRSC sanctioned the Ondo State Sector Commander, Dr. Samuel Ibitoye, and announced that the patrol vehicle in question would be fined.
The Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, condemned the violation and emphasised that the corps had zero tolerance for safety infractions, especially when committed by its personnel.
"The Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, condemns in totality the use of a worn-out tyre on an FRSC patrol vehicle and has ordered the immediate sanction of the Ondo Sector Commander, under whose jurisdiction the violation occurred," the FRSC said in a statement.
"He further stressed that the corps has zero tolerance for any deviation from safety standards and will not condone any compromise against its core values."
The statement added that the commander would personally pay the fine for negligence, and reaffirmed FRSC’s commitment to strict supervision and safety compliance across all commands.
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