The Federal High Court has made an order restraining the Directorate of Road Traffic Services, popularly known as VIO, from impounding, confiscating, or imposing fines on any motorist.
The Federal High Court, while delivering judgement in a suit filed by human rights activist and public interest attorney, Abubakar Marshal, through Justice N.E. Maha, agreed with the Applicant that there is no law empowering the Respondents to stop, impound, confiscate, seize, or impose fines on motorists.
While delivering judgment in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1695/2023, Marshal Abubakar vs the Directorate of Road Traffic Services & 4 others, the court in its judgement delivered on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, made a declaration that the 1st (Directorate of Road Traffic Services) to 4th Respondents under the control of the 5th Respondent (Minister of the Federal Capital Territory) are not empowered by any law or statute to stop, impound, confiscate the vehicles of motorists, and/or impose fines on motorists.
The court made an order restraining the 1st to 4th Respondents, either through their agents, servants, and/or assigns, from impounding, confiscating the vehicles of motorists, and/or imposing fines on any motorist, as doing so is wrongful, oppressive, and unlawful by themselves.
The court also 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 the right to own property without lawful justification.
