The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has ruled that the Directorate of Road Services (VIO) lacks the legal authority to confiscate vehicles or impose fines on Nigerian motorists.
Delivering judgment on October 2, 2024, in case FHC/ABJ/CS/1695/2023, Justice Nkeonye Evelyn Maha stated that VIO officers “are not empowered by any law or statute to stop, impound, confiscate the vehicles of motorists and or impose fine on motorists.”
The judgment followed a lawsuit filed by human rights attorney Mr. Marshal of Falana and Falana Chambers, aiming to curtail the powers of the road traffic agency, which has long been a source of anxiety for motorists nationwide.
Justice Maha also issued a perpetual injunction restraining VIO, its agents, allies, or anyone acting on its behalf from violating Nigerians’ rights to freedom of movement, presumption of innocence, and property ownership without lawful justification.
The ruling does not affect the Federal Road Safety Corps, which continues to operate as Nigeria’s primary road traffic enforcement body. The decision brings significant relief to millions of motorists across the country.
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