The Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a ruling prohibiting the Directorate of Road Traffic Services, also known as the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO), from stopping, impounding, or confiscating vehicles and imposing fines on motorists within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The judgment, delivered by Justice Evelyn Maha, came in response to a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by human rights activist and lawyer, Abubakar Marshal. The suit challenged the authority of the VIO and other related entities in carrying out such activities.
In her ruling, Justice Maha made it clear that no law empowers the respondents, including the Area Commander and Team Leader in Jabi, the Director of Road Transport, and the Minister of the FCT, to engage in the actions complained of in the suit. She affirmed that the respondents, acting under the authority of the FCT minister, do not have the legal grounds to impound vehicles or fine motorists.
The court issued a restraining order against the respondents and their agents, barring them from continuing these activities. Justice Maha described the actions of impounding vehicles and imposing fines as wrongful, oppressive, and unlawful.
Additionally, the court’s judgment emphasized the protection of motorists’ rights, including freedom of movement, the presumption of innocence, and the right to own property without lawful justification. This ruling effectively curtails any further infringement on these rights by the respondents.