Court Bars VIO From Impounding Vehicles, Imposing Fines On Motorists

The court has barred VIO from impounding vehicles and imposing fines on motorists.

Newsone Nigeria reports that a Federal High Court in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, has made an order restraining the directorate of Road Traffic Services popularly known as Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) from impounding, confiscating, or imposing a fine on any motorist.

This online news platform understands that the court delivered the judgment in a suit filed by human rights activist and public interest attorney, Abubakar Marshal of Falana and Falana Chambers.

Honourable Justice N.E. Maha agreed with the Applicant that there is no law empowering the Respondents to stop, impound, confiscate, seize, or impose fine on motorists while delivering judgment in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1695/2023 between Marshal Abubakar vs the Directorate of Road Traffic Services & 4 Ors.

In its judgment delivered on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, the court made a declaration that the 1st (Directorate of Road Traffic Services) to 4th Respondents under the control of the 5th Respondent (Minister of the Federal Capital Territory) are not empowered by any law or statute to stop, impound, confiscate the vehicles of motorists and or impose fine on motorists.

The court gave an order restraining the 1st to 4th respondents either through their agents, servants and/or assigns from impounding, confiscating the vehicles of motorists, and or imposing fine on any motorist as doing so is wrongful, oppressive, and unlawful by themselves.

Newsone reports that the court also made an order of perpetual injunction restraining the respondents whether by themselves, agents, privies, allies, or anybody acting on behalf of the 1st Respondent from further violating the rights of Nigerians to freedom of movement, presumption of innocence and right to own property without lawful justification.

Justice Maha stated, “The actions of the first to fourth respondents, under the control of the fifth respondent, are not empowered by any law or statute to stop, impound, or confiscate the vehicles of motorists or impose fines on them.”