The Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN) and the Organisation of African Instituted Churches (OAIC) have opposed the proposed amendment to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Bill, 2026, which seeks to ban preaching, hawking and trading in commercial vehicles.
The Senate passed the bill on Thursday, proposing a N50,000 fine, six months’ imprisonment, or both, for offenders. The legislation also introduces the same penalties for motorists who refuse to cooperate with FRSC officials during roadside breath tests conducted on reasonable suspicion. The bill is currently awaiting presidential assent.
Reacting to the development, the CCN said while it supports efforts to improve road safety and reduce distractions on the roads, criminalising preaching violates the constitutional rights to freedom of religion and expression. In a statement signed by its General Secretary, Rev. Evans Onyemara, the council argued that placing Christian evangelism in the same category as hawking and trading is inappropriate.
The council noted that commercial buses have long served as platforms where Christians share brief messages of hope, repentance, encouragement and prayers with willing passengers. It also criticised the proposed N50,000 fine for hawkers, saying it punishes people struggling with poverty, unemployment and economic hardship instead of addressing the root causes of those challenges.
The CCN urged the Federal Government to adopt more humane alternatives, including creating designated trading areas, introducing age-appropriate restrictions where necessary and expanding economic empowerment programmes rather than imposing punitive sanctions. It also called on President Bola Tinubu, the National Assembly and other stakeholders to subject the bill to wider public consultation before it is signed into law.
Similarly, the OAIC appealed to President Tinubu to withhold assent to the bill, warning that criminalising peaceful religious expression would amount to an unnecessary restriction on Nigerians’ constitutional rights.
In a statement signed by its President, Israel Akinadewo, the association described it as insensitive to equate preaching with commercial hawking. It maintained that preaching in commercial buses has long been a legitimate way of spreading messages of faith, hope, morality, repentance and peaceful coexistence.
The OAIC called on the National Assembly to review the bill through broader consultations with religious bodies, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to ensure public safety is balanced with constitutional freedoms. The association also reaffirmed its commitment to lawful and responsible evangelism while urging preachers to conduct their activities in ways that respect public order.