FCTA. FRSC COLLABORATES TO ENFORCE TRAFFIC OFFENCES IN ABUJA

By: Leticia Wogu and Wisdom Acka

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), in collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and other sister agencies, has commenced a sustained special enforcement operation against traffic light violations, driving against traffic, and other road offences across Abuja.

Mandate Secretary, FCTA Transportation Secretariat, Chinedum Elechi, disclosed this on Thursday, August 27, 2026, during a special joint intervention press conference in Abuja.

Elechi said that a task force has been set up to that effect and will start patrols and arrest perpetrators, adding that offenders would face the full weight of the law.

The Secretary stated that the enforcement exercise was necessitated by increasing disregard for traffic rules by some motorists, particularly following the expansion of the FCT road network under the urban renewal programme of the administration of the FCT Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike.

He said the FCTA was particularly pleased with the collaboration with the FCT Sector Command of the FRSC and other relevant agencies, describing the initiative as a major step towards restoring sanity to the Territory’s traffic management system.

He added that the joint efforts of the FCT Security Department, Traffic Control Department, FRSC and other agencies would make the future of traffic management in the nation’s capital brighter.

According to him, the FCT Administration’s massive urban renewal programme, which includes the expansion of existing road networks and construction of new roads, has improved mobility and connectivity but also created new traffic management challenges.

He lamented that “Some drivers are taking advantage of the improved road infrastructure to disregard traffic rules and regulations.”

Elechi listed the major targets of the enforcement exercise to include disregard for traffic lights and other traffic control devices, route violations and unauthorised use of restricted routes, including driving against traffic, illegal parking on major roads and at junctions, under bridges and on pedestrian crossings.

He warned motorists and commercial transport operators to obey traffic rules, use designated routes and park only in approved areas. Adding that the exercise would be sustained, he stressed that apprehended offenders would face appropriate sanctions under relevant national and FCT traffic regulations.

“Offenders will have to face the full weight of the law when they engage in the dangerous exercise of driving against traffic or breaking traffic lights,” Elechi said.

However, he noted that the exercise was not intended to harass law-abiding motorists but to promote safer roads, smoother traffic flow and protect lives and property.

In his remarks, FCT Sector Commander of the FRSC, FCT Command, Corps Commander Tijjani Iliyasu, said the command was concerned about the rising cases of overloading, traffic light violations, route violations, driving against traffic and indiscriminate parking.

Iliyasu said the offences contributed significantly to traffic congestion, obstructed the free movement of vehicles and endangered the lives and property of road users.

He said the situation required sustained enforcement, public enlightenment and cooperation among relevant stakeholders.

The Commander disclosed that offenders apprehended for applicable offences, particularly overloading, traffic light violations and route violations, including driving against traffic, would henceforth undergo prescribed medical and psychological evaluation before prosecution.

He cited Regulation 176, Sub-regulation 5 of the amended National Road Traffic Regulation 2012, which, according to him, mandates persons suspected of committing applicable offences to undergo medical and psychological evaluation at an approved government hospital before prosecution at their own expense.

Iliyasu said the measure was aimed at addressing dangerous driving behaviour and promoting responsible road use, insisting that it was not designed to intimidate or harass members of the public.

He urged motorists to obey traffic lights, road signs and markings, refrain from overloading vehicles, avoid driving against traffic and use only authorised routes, advising road users to avoid indiscriminate parking and activities that obstruct traffic flow, while using designated motor parks, bus stops and approved loading and dropping points.

Iliyasu assured residents that the FRSC FCT Sector Command would continue to adopt a coordinated approach involving enforcement, public education, stakeholder engagement, engineering interventions and inter-agency collaboration to improve road safety and traffic management in Abuja.

“Our message is simple: obey traffic regulations, respect other road users, and make safety a personal responsibility,” he said.

Earlier, the Director, Security Services Department of the FCTA, Adamu Gwary, said the enforcement of traffic regulations was important not only for improved mobility but also for strengthening security in the nation’s capital, noting that violations by some commercial transport operators and other road users could create security challenges.

The Director, who was represented by the Secretary, Command and Control Centre, Dr Peter Olumuji, said security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services and other relevant agencies, would support the enforcement exercise to ensure that it was carried out within the confines of the law.

He specifically raised concerns over the activities of commercial operators, including tricycle and motorcycle operators, who he said sometimes use unauthorised routes and loading points.

According to him, the authorities’ concerns about traffic violations are also linked to persistent security challenges in the FCT, including incidents involving “one chance” robbery and other violent crimes.

The Director stressed that an effective transportation system was essential to achieving improved security in any city, saying transportation and security were closely connected.

Gwary assured residents that the security agencies were fully prepared to support the FCTA and other enforcement bodies as the exercise continues across the territory.

“We want to assure members of the FCT, the residents of the FCT, that as this enforcement commences, the security agencies too are fully backing them up. The Nigerian Police, the DSS and all relevant security agencies,” he said.

Abuja Digest reports that the joint enforcement exercise is expected to continue across strategic locations in the FCT as the authorities intensify efforts to reduce traffic violations, improve vehicular movement and safeguard lives and property.