The Directorate of Road Traffic Services, (known as VIO) has been barred from further stopping vehicles on Nigerian Roads.
This was contained in a Federal High Court, Abuja judgment delivered by Justice Evelyn Maha on Wednesday. The court also barred the VIO from impounding or confiscating vehicles, and imposing fines on motorists.
Justice Evelyn Maha gave the order on a fundamental rights enforcement suit: FHC/ABJ/CS/1695/2023, filed by a human rights activist and public interest attorney, Abubakar Marshal.
Also affected by the order are the Director of Road Transport; the Area Commander, Jabi, and the Team Leader, Jabi, and the Minister of the FCT, also listed as respondents.
In the judgment delivered on Wednesday, October 2, Justice Maha upheld Marshal’s argument that no law empowers respondents to stop, impound, confiscate, seize, or impose fines on motorists.
Maha, therefore, declared that the first to the 4th respondents, who are under the control of the 5th respondent (Minister of the FCT) are not empowered by any law or statute to stop, impound, or confiscate the vehicles of motorists and or impose fines on motorists.
The judge proceeded to issue an order restraining the 1st to 4th respondents either through their agents, servants, and or assigns from impounding, confiscating the vehicle of motorists. And or imposing a fine on any motorist as doing so is wrongful, oppressive, and unlawful by themselves.
Justice Maha further made an order of perpetual injunction restraining the respondents whether by themselves, agents, privies, allies or anybody acting on behalf of the 1st respondent from further violating the rights of Nigerians to freedom of movement, presumption of innocence and right to own property without lawful justification.
Recall that in 2023, a lawyer in Delta State also won a case against the VIO on the violation of rights of Nigerians through its unlawful activities on the roads.
source: The Nation
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