Abuja – The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mallam Shehu Mohammed, on Monday expressed grave concern over a rising trend of reckless road use by celebrities, content creators and social media influencers who, in their quest for online visibility, deliberately flout traffic regulations and endanger lives. His remarks came after a widely shared video showed a popular TikTok streamer live‑streaming while driving, an illegal act that reportedly led to a road traffic crash.
Mohammed said that live streaming, content creation, recording or any activity that distracts a driver while behind the wheel constitutes a clear breach of existing traffic laws and poses a serious threat to both the driver and other road users. “Such actions undermine ongoing national efforts to reduce road traffic crashes and fatalities,” he stated.
Consequently, the Corps Marshal directed the Lagos State Sector Commander to immediately activate all necessary procedures to ensure the prosecution of anyone involved in reckless driving, the use of mobile phones while driving, and other forms of distracted driving, in line with extant traffic legislation.
He also called on actors’ guilds, entertainment associations, influencer networks and content‑creator communities to urgently sensitize their members and promote responsible behaviour on Nigerian roads. “Celebrities and influencers wield enormous influence, particularly among young Nigerians, and must be seen as ambassadors of safety, not symbols of recklessness,” Mohammed said. He warned that the FRSC would not hesitate to apply the full weight of the law against any individual—celebrity or otherwise—found engaging in distracted or reckless driving. “No social media content, online trend or momentary clout is worth a human life,” he added.
Urging all road users to remember that public roads are neither studios nor stages, the Corps Marshal stressed that roads are shared spaces governed by laws designed to protect lives. He appealed to Nigerians to report dangerous driving behaviours and to support collective efforts aimed at achieving safer roads nationwide.
Mohammed reiterated that the FRSC remains steadfast in its mandate to ensure safer highways and emphasized that road safety is a shared responsibility requiring discipline, restraint and respect for the law by all, without exception.
