We’ll demand firearms if FRSC is armed – NAPS

The National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) has said it would demand firearms for its members if the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) is granted the same. In a statement signed by its Senate President, Comrade Oyewumi Festus Ayomide, and Clerk, Comrade Jimoh Ibrahim, the student body said the FRSC was created as a civil […]

The National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) has said it would demand firearms for its members if the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) is granted the same.

In a statement signed by its Senate President, Comrade Oyewumi Festus Ayomide, and Clerk, Comrade Jimoh Ibrahim, the student body said the FRSC was created as a civil agency focused on saving lives and guiding motorists, not as an armed force.

“The FRSC was created to guide road users, prevent accidents, and save lives. It is not meant to carry firearms,” Ayomide said.

He added that student leaders regularly face dangers while travelling across the country.

“We have encountered countless life-threatening scenarios on our journeys, ranging from kidnappers and unknown gunmen to bandit attacks. A painful example is the tragic loss of our South-South Coordinator who died in such a circumstance,” he said.

According to him, if the government deems it necessary to arm the FRSC, “then by that logic, comrades who travel at odd hours in volatile terrains deserve arms too. After all, the paramilitary have their uniforms, and we also have our khaki.”

The association urged the Federal Government and the National Assembly to instead strengthen the FRSC with training, technology, and emergency response tools, as well as foster greater collaboration with other security agencies.

“The lives of Nigerians on the roads are too precious to be placed at the mercy of an armed FRSC. Road safety is about saving lives, not taking them,” Ayomide said.