For the National Assembly to impose N50,000 fines on preachers in the Federal Road Safety Corps (Amendment) Bill, 2026, at a time that the federal government is facing allegations of persecution of Christians, shows the level of insensitivity of the federal lawmakers to issues affecting the masses, Ejiofor Alike writes Members of the National Assembly have again demonstrated their insensitivity to the plight of the Nigerian masses with the recent amendment of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Bill, 2026, which is widely perceived by some religious leaders as anti-Christian. At a time that the administration of United States President Donald Trump and some sections of Christians are alleging that Christians in Nigeria are being persecuted, targeted and killed by “Islamic terrorists” without the government doing enough to curb religious violence, the National Assembly recently passed the FRSC (Amendment) Bill, 2026, imposing N50,000 on poor preachers in commercial buses. Before the Trump administration made this strong statement against religious violence in Nigeria, many Christian bodies in the country had carried the campaign against alleged Christian persecution to the United States Congress, accusing the Nigerian security forces of aiding the killing of Christians in Southern Kaduna, the Middle Belt and other parts of the country. However, the President Bola Tinubu-led federal government has consistently denied this allegation, insisting that there is religious tolerance in Nigeria and that Christians and Muslims are coexisting well. The federal government has also insisted that there is neither a Christian nor a Muslim genocide in Nigeria, while maintaining that the country’s security challenges are driven by terrorism, criminality and extremism rather than faith-based persecution. This administration has also consistently argued that Nigeria does not tolerate policies or actions aimed at persecuting any religious group. Faced with such a grave allegation, the various organs of government should have embarked on sustained confidence-building, while intensifying the war against the land-grabbing killer-herdsmen in the Middle Belt and the southern parts of the country. But rather than avoiding actions that could be perceived by religious leaders as anti-Christian, the Senate recently passed the Federal Road Safety Corps (Amendment) Bill, 2026, proposing a ₦50,000 fine for anyone convicted of preaching inside commercial vehicles. The bill is currently awaiting presidential assent. Though the amended legislation significantly increases penalties for several traffic offences, the penalty against poor preachers has provoked the ire of Christians as many consider it as a deliberate effort to shrink the preaching space for Christians Lawmakers said the provision was introduced to discourage distractions in commercial vehicles and improve the safety of commuters. But it is common knowledge that preaching inside commercial buses is not known to be one of the common causes of accidents in Nigeria. No wonder the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the South-west zone had appealed to President Bola Tinubu to withhold assent to the proposed FRSC Bill, 2026. In a statement signed by its Chairman, Bishop Barnabas Tunde Akinsanya, the South-west CAN said it was concerned about the provisions prescribing sanctions for preaching in commercial buses and prohibiting hawking in such vehicles. According to the association, although the government has a responsibility to protect lives and ensure public safety, it must also uphold the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution. “We, therefore, respectfully appeal to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to withhold assent to the Bill in its present form and encourage further consultation with relevant stakeholders, including religious bodies, civil society organisations, legal experts, transport unions, and road safety professionals. “Such dialogue will help produce legislation that effectively promotes road safety while preserving the constitutional rights and dignity of every Nigerian,” the statement said. South-west CAN stressed that Nigeria needs laws that promote national unity, safeguard lives without unnecessarily restricting fundamental freedoms, and strengthen public confidence in democratic governance. Similarly, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) had also vowed to resist what it described as the federal government’s plan to stop Christians from preaching in commercial buses. PFN said the proposed restriction of preaching reflects what it views as a broader pattern of policies targeting Christians. Speaking on a television programme, the President of PFN, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, vowed that Christians w
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