Appeal Court Affirms Judgment Barring VIO From Impounding Vehicles, Imposing Fines

Appeal Court in Abuja affirms judgment barring VIO from impounding vehicles and imposing fines.

It follows a Federal High Court’s ruling in Oct 2024, which ruled that no law empowered VIO to impound or impose fines on motorists.

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has upheld the judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which barred the Directorate of Road Traffic Services, commonly known as the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO), from impounding vehicles and imposing fines on motorists.

In its judgment on Thursday December 4th (today), the three-member panel of the appellate court said there was no basis to overturn the Federal High Court’s ruling of October 16, 2024, which ruled that no law empowered VIO officials to stop, impound or impose fines on motorists.

The ruling followed a fundamental rights suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1695/2023, filed by public interest lawyer, Abubakar Marshal. Marshal told the court that VIO operatives forcefully stopped him at Jabi District on December 12th 2023, and confiscated his vehicle without lawful justification.

Justice Oyejoju Oyebiola Oyewumi, who delivered the lead judgment, awarded N2.5 million to Marshal, who had sought N500 million in general and aggravated damages and an apology in three national newspapers.

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