Justice Evelyn Maha of the Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a decisive order, preventing the Directorate of Road Traffic Services, commonly referred to as the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO), from stopping, impounding, or confiscating vehicles on the road. The ruling, delivered on October 2, also prohibits the agency from imposing fines on motorists.

This judgment follows a suit brought forward by human rights lawyer Abubakar Marshal, who challenged the legal authority of VIO officials to carry out these actions. Justice Maha, agreeing with the arguments, declared that there is no legal justification for VIO officers to stop or impound vehicles or to impose fines on drivers.

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The case, filed under suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1695/2023, named several key figures within the Directorate of Road Traffic Services and the Federal Capital Territory as respondents. The court’s judgment reinforced the fundamental rights of Nigerian motorists, particularly their right to freedom of movement, fair hearing, and presumption of innocence as enshrined in Nigeria’s Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Justice Maha granted a perpetual injunction, further protecting citizens from unlawful vehicle impoundments and fines by VIO officials. The ruling underscores that the actions of the Vehicle Inspection Office were deemed “wrongful, oppressive, and unlawful,” safeguarding motorists from future violations of their rights.