The Senate has dismissed reports linking the Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Yemi Adaramodu, to the controversial proposal prescribing penalties for preaching, hawking and trading inside commercial vehicles, insisting neither lawmaker sponsored or introduced the measure.
In an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, Adaramodu clarified the Senate’s position amid sustained public debate over the Federal Road Safety Corps (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which has sparked criticism from religious groups, civil society organisations, opposition parties and members of the public.
The controversy followed the Senate’s passage of the amendment bill, which retains a provision prescribing a N50,000 fine for anyone convicted of hawking, trading or preaching inside commercial vehicles.
The legislation, part of a broader review of the FRSC Act aimed at strengthening road safety enforcement and reducing road crashes, has drawn widespread criticism, with many Nigerians describing the provision as insensitive in the face of worsening economic hardship and rising unemployment.
Responding to the backlash, the Senate had earlier clarified that the contentious provision was not a fresh attempt to outlaw street evangelism or religious activities but a long-standing section of the FRSC Act that has remained in force since 2007.
