A Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos, has restrained the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) from arresting vehicles with faded number plates.
Justice Akintayo Aluko made the order on Friday by also restricting the FRSC from imposing any fine or punishment on any drivers for driving with a faded vehicle number plate.
Justice Aluko made the above orders while delivering judgment in a suit marked FHC/L/CS/253/2024, filed by Chinwike Chamberlain Ezebube against FRSC.
The applicant, Chinwike Chamberlain Ezebube, in an Originating Summons dated January 12, 2024 and filed on February 13, 2024, by his lawyer, U.G. Nwokedi, had asked the court to determine the following
Whether the defendant, pursuant to Section 5(g) and Section 10(3)(f) of the Federal Road Safety Commission Act, 2007, being the sole designer and Producer of Vehicle Number Plates in Nigeria, and responsible for the quality and durability of the vehicle plate numbers as are produced by it, is not liable for any defect or poor quality and durability of the vehicle number plates?
Whether the defendant can make it an offence and impose penalty against the plaintiff and or other Nigerians for driving vehicles with faded vehicle number plates due to poor quality production as were designed and produced by the Defendant?
The plaintiff said that should the above questions be determined in his favour, he urged the court to make the following orders:
An order of the honourable court restricting the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), from declaring it an offence for the Plaintiff to drive with a faded vehicle number plate.
