Following court rulings, VIO suspends vehicle impoundment, fines in Abuja

We Will Resume Enforcement if the Appeal is Successful – VIO

The Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), also known as the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO), has suspended all vehicle impoundment and fine issuance activities in Abuja following a recent Federal High Court ruling that challenged the legality of its enforcement methods.

The suspension is a direct response to the court’s judgment on October 2, which determined that the VIO lacks the authority to stop vehicles or impose penalties on motorists.

Funmi Oguntala, the acting spokesperson for the agency, confirmed the suspension to PREMIUM TIMES news and stated that the DRTS has filed an appeal against the ruling, with a hearing scheduled for November 5.

“For now, DRTS is only handling traffic control. We will resume enforcement if the appeal is successful,” she explained.

The Informant247 reported that the Federal High Court in Abuja explicitly barred the VIO from stopping vehicles, confiscating them, and imposing fines on motorists.

In the ruling for case number FHC/ABJ/CS/1695/2023, Judge Nkeonye Evelyn Maha stated that no law empowers the VIO or its officers to conduct such activities.

This judgment stemmed from a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by human rights activist and lawyer Abubakar Marshal.

The court’s order also binds the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, the Director of Road Transport, and the Area Commander, Jabi. A restraining order was issued against these officials and their agents, prohibiting them from impounding or confiscating vehicles or imposing fines, labeling such actions as improper, illegal, and oppressive.

Additionally, the court issued a perpetual injunction aimed at upholding Nigerians’ rights to freedom of movement, the presumption of innocence, and the right to own property.