The Senate has responded to public criticism over a provision in the Federal Road Safety Corps Amendment Bill, 2026, saying the ₦50,000 penalty for preaching, hawking and trading inside commercial vehicles is not new and has existed in Nigerian law since 2007.
The clarification came on Monday after the bill triggered outrage online and from religious groups, civil society organisations and opposition parties. Many Nigerians questioned why lawmakers were focusing on street evangelism and small traders at a time of rising economic hardship.
According to Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, the provision was misunderstood. In a statement attributed to him by News Digest, he said the amendment does not create a new offence and does not ban public preaching or street evangelism.
Bamidele explained that Section 10(4) of the FRSC Establishment Act, 2007, and Regulation 220 of the National Road Traffic Regulations, 2012, already list preaching and hawking in moving vehicles as traffic violations. He added that the only change in the current bill is the renumbering of the offence from Item 36 in the 2007 Act to Item 49 in the amendment.
He said the aim of the provision is to improve road safety, noting that activities such as preaching, selling and trading inside commercial buses distract drivers and endanger passengers. He also dismissed claims that he sponsored the bill, stating that it originated in the House of Representatives and was forwarded to the Senate for concurrence. The legislative process, he said, is still ongoing and stakeholders can submit their views before the final version is adopted.
The amendment passed by the Senate seeks to increase penalties for several traffic offences to strengthen FRSC enforcement. It retains the ₦50,000 fine for preaching, hawking and trading in commercial vehicles. It also proposes a ₦50,000 fine or six months imprisonment, or both, for motorists who refuse roadside breath tests. The penalty for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs would rise from ₦5,000 to ₦100,000 with up to two years in jail. Jumping traffic lights or ignoring road signs would attract a ₦100,000 fine, while reckless driving and speeding would face higher fines and possible prison terms. The revised schedule lists 52 offences with updated punishments.
Before the Senate’s explanation, opposition parties and rights groups argued that lawmakers should prioritise inflation, unemployment and poverty over new fines. Some religious organisations also accused the government of targeting evangelism, which prompted the Senate to issue Monday’s clarification.
The bill is yet to become law, and lawmakers say public input will be considered before it is finalized.