BY JULIET EKWENUGO
Kaduna
The Northern States Christian Elders Forum (NOSCEF) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to withhold assent to the proposed Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026, over a provision that reportedly prescribes a N50,000 fine for individuals found preaching in commercial buses.
The forum described the provision as a violation of constitutionally guaranteed rights to freedom of religion and expression, warning that it could fuel religious tension and undermine peaceful coexistence in the country.
In a statement signed by its chairman, Elder Sunday Oibe, NOSCEF said criminalising peaceful religious preaching in public spaces amounted to “a dangerous encroachment on the constitutionally guaranteed rights of Nigerians to freedom of religion, freedom of expression and peaceful propagation of their faith.”
Oibe said, “We respectfully urge Mr. President not to allow himself to be drawn into endorsing legislation that could plunge the nation into avoidable controversy and deepen existing divisions. Road safety legislation should not become a vehicle for restricting the fundamental freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The forum maintained that preaching the Gospel remained a core obligation of the Christian faith and could not be abandoned because of human legislation.
According to the statement, “The Christian faith is founded on the divine mandate given by our Lord Jesus Christ to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. This is not a political assignment but a sacred responsibility that Christians cannot abandon because of human legislation.”
NOSCEF said Christians had always carried out evangelism peacefully and without coercion, stressing that they respected the rights and beliefs of all Nigerians while remaining committed to proclaiming their faith wherever lawful opportunities existed.
The forum also questioned whether religious stakeholders were adequately consulted before the inclusion of the provision, noting that public preaching is a common practice among both Christians and Muslims in Nigeria.
While expressing support for efforts to improve road safety and strengthen traffic law enforcement, the group insisted that such legislation should not be used to curtail constitutionally guaranteed freedoms.
It called on the National Assembly to review the amendment and remove any provision seeking to penalise peaceful religious preaching.
NOSCEF also appealed to Nigerians to remain calm and pursue their concerns through lawful and democratic means, saying the country’s unity and stability would be better served by laws that protect the rights of every citizen rather than those capable of creating suspicion, resentment and unnecessary religious tension.
