Abuja, Nigeria – Investigative journalist Ajibola Amzat has accused officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) of attempting to arrest him after he filmed an altercation between one of their personnel and a motorist along Wuse Market Road on Thursday morning.
Amzat, who shared the experience on his Facebook page, said the incident unfolded during his routine morning walk.
He witnessed an officer, identified as Officer Monday, forcibly entering a driver’s vehicle after allegedly accusing the motorist of beating a traffic light. The confrontation escalated into a heated exchange.
Sensing the situation “almost turned violent,” Amzat began recording the encounter. His action, however, drew the ire of the FRSC officer, who reportedly called five other colleagues to surround the journalist and demand his phone.
“I told him I would stop when he stopped disgracing the public uniform he was wearing,” Amzat wrote.
Amzat also criticized the FRSC for ignoring the Safe City surveillance technology in Abuja, which could be used to electronically fine traffic offenders. Instead, he alleged, officers prefer manual stops—often resulting in unofficial settlements.
“Most times they negotiate with the drivers to pay less so their names won’t enter the records,” he claimed.
The journalist said he feared being assaulted or detained, recalling a similar experience while covering the Osun State governorship election in 2018. Fortunately, a group of Hausa-speaking onlookers intervened and escorted him to safety.
“They led me out of trouble. And asked that I make the video I recorded public,” he said.
As of now, the FRSC has yet to issue an official response regarding the incident.