The Federal Capital Territory’s Directorate of Road Traffic Services has reacted sharply to the Court of Appeal ruling that bars Vehicle Inspection Officers from stopping motorists, impounding vehicles or imposing fines. Acting Director Deborah Osho told reporters the agency would “certainly appeal” the judgment, warning that Abuja has already descended into “lawlessness.”
According to Osho, the ruling has emboldened motorists to ignore basic traffic rules. She cited the Airport Road corridor, where drivers now routinely turn the expressway into a one-way route. “You cannot enforce, you cannot impound, but if you give them a ticket, they won’t come to pay. What do you want us to do?” she asked.
Osho also revealed that, despite relying on digital ticketing and alternative enforcement methods, motorists owe the FCT more than ₦409 million in outstanding penalties. Without the power to sanction, the agency says compliance has collapsed.
The Court of Appeal upheld an earlier Federal High Court ruling that found VIO enforcement actions unconstitutional, declaring that only a court of competent jurisdiction can impose fines. The ruling followed a fundamental rights suit filed by lawyer Abubakar Marshal, who said VIO operatives unlawfully seized his vehicle in Jabi. He won ₦2.5m in damages.
You cannot enforce, you cannot impound, but if you give them a ticket, they won’t come to pay. What do you want us to do?……..VIO Acting Director Deborah Osho
Justice Nkeonye Maha had ruled that VIO powers to stop or impound vehicles lacked statutory backing, violating the rights of motorists to movement, property and fair hearing. The appeal filed by the DRTS was dismissed as lacking merit.
Despite the judgment, Osho insists road traffic cannot function without enforcement. “Have you ever seen anywhere in the world where traffic is coordinated without enforcement?” she said, urging the FCT Administration to support the agency’s push for a legal review.
As Abuja grapples with rising traffic violations and collapsing compliance, the city now sits at the intersection of constitutional rights and public safety—awaiting the next legal battle in what could redefine road regulation nationwide.
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