Rights Group Backs Anti-Bus Preaching, Hawking Bill

A bill proposed by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) aimed at banning preaching inside commercial buses and hawking has received the backing of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).

The Islamic human rights group gave the bill its blessing in a statement issued by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola on Saturday, 2026.

”The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) yesterday introduced a bill aimed at banning preaching inside commercial buses and hawking.

“This is a step in the right direction. With emphasis on bus preaching, we commend FRSC for this proactiveness. The whole idea is not only visionary but also precautionary and constructive. Preaching inside the bus is most uncivilized and discourteous.

”Nobody can preach inside commercial vehicles in London, Paris or Frankfurt. So how are we keeping faith with global best practices?

“It all boils down to how we value life in our country. Many road accidents have been attributed to loss of focus and this is what bus preaching causes.

”Yet little or no attention is paid to this danger in our immediate environment. Bus preachers are known to have boarded intra-city, inter-city and inter-state commercial buses preaching all the way from Lagos to Ibadan, Ondo to Akure, Enugu to Ughelli, etc.

“We support the FRSC bill for two main reasons. Bus preaching distracts drivers thereby leading to accidents with the attendant deaths and injuries. Secondly, bus preaching constitutes conduct likely to cause breach of public peace.

‎”Bus preachers are more often than not tolerated willy-nilly. They are a nuisance people compel themselves to live with. They disturb virtually every passenger. Preaching inside the bus has also led to fracas in some cases. But the greatest danger lies in road accidents.

‎”Our lawmakers need to urgently attend to the FRSC bill in view of the high proliferation of road crashes in the country.

‎”According to data supplied by the FRSC, Nigeria recorded 7,715 crashes between January and September 2025. These crashes resulted in 3,915 deaths and 24,674 injuries. In all, FRSC reported 10,446 crashes, 5,289 deaths in 2025.

“The previous year (2024) was not better as 9,570 crashes were reported with the death toll reaching 5,421.

‎”Bluntly put, bus preaching is most common among Christian preachers. We therefore advise Christian leaders and churches in the country, particularly in the South West, to curb the excesses of their followers. Religious overzealousness leading to gruesome killings via road crashes deserves close attention.”