The Federal High Court in Abuja has barred the Directorate of Road Traffic Services, commonly known as the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO), from stopping, impounding, or confiscating vehicles, and from imposing fines on motorists.
This landmark ruling was delivered by Justice Evelyn Maha on Thursday during a session in which she underscored the importance of adhering to the legal limits of the agency’s powers.
The announcement was obtained from a news broadcast by Channels Television on Thursday.
The report revealed that the ruling was a response to a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Abubakar Marshal, a human rights activist and public interest attorney.
Marshal’s legal argument centered on the assertion that the VIO and other respondents had overstepped their legal authority by stopping vehicles and imposing fines, without any clear legal mandate.
The suit named several respondents, including the Director of Road Transport, the Area Commander of Jabi, the team leader of Jabi, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), all of whom were implicated in the suit for their involvement in these practices.
Justice Maha, after carefully considering the case, upheld Marshal’s argument and ruled that the respondents were not empowered by any existing law to stop vehicles, confiscate them, or impose fines on motorists.
She described these actions as wrongful, oppressive, and unlawful. The judge further declared that their conduct violated the rights of motorists, infringing on their fundamental rights to freedom of movement, the presumption of innocence, and the right to own property without unlawful interference.
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In response to these findings, Justice Maha issued a perpetual injunction, restraining the respondents from continuing with these practices in the future.
She made it clear that any further attempts to stop, seize, or fine motorists without proper legal backing would be considered a violation of their fundamental rights.
This ruling sets a critical precedent in the ongoing debate over the scope of authority granted to road traffic enforcement agencies across the country.
Justice Maha’s decision significantly limits the power of the VIO and other associated bodies, ensuring that motorists are shielded from arbitrary and unlawful practices on Nigeria’s roads.
The judgement reaffirms that Nigerians have the right to move freely, own property, and be presumed innocent until proven otherwise, without the looming threat of unjust penalties or vehicle confiscations.