Appeal Court Declares VIO Operations Illegal, Upholds Ban on Vehicle Impoundment in Abuja

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has delivered a landmark judgment affirming the ban on the Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), popularly known as the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO), from impounding vehicles or imposing fines on motorists within the Federal Capital Territory.

A three-member panel of justices, in a ruling delivered on Thursday, dismissed the appeal filed by the Minister of the FCT through his counsel, Joseph Daudu (SAN), describing it as “devoid of merit.” The court maintained that the VIO’s long-standing practices of seizing vehicles and levying fines are not backed by any law.

The judgment upheld an earlier ruling delivered on October 3, 2024, by Justice Nkeonye Maha of the Federal High Court, which declared that the VIO lacks the statutory authority to stop, confiscate, or penalize motorists.

The panel commended human rights lawyer, Marshal Abubakar, for his persistence in challenging the unlawful activities of the VIO. The court also awarded him N1 million in damages and issued a perpetual injunction restraining the directorate, its agents, and affiliates from further violating citizens’ rights to freedom of movement, presumption of innocence, and property ownership.

Abubakar had argued in his suit that no existing law empowers the VIO or its officers to impound vehicles or impose fines—an argument both the high court and appeal court have now validated.

The respondents in the suit include top officials of the DRTS as well as the Minister of the FCT.

This ruling is expected to have significant implications for traffic enforcement operations in the FCT, as motorists and legal experts await possible policy adjustments by the government and traffic agencies.

The news was earlier reported by daily trust online