Supreme Court showdown looms after VIO questions Appeal Court judgment

‎A major legal showdown is brewing at the Supreme Court as the Department of Road Traffic Services (DRTS) moves to challenge a Court of Appeal judgment that stripped Vehicle Inspection Officers of the power to stop motorists, impound vehicles, or impose fines in the Federal Capital Territory.
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‎The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, on Thursday upheld an earlier ruling of the Federal High Court which declared such enforcement actions illegal, insisting that only a court of competent jurisdiction can sanction alleged traffic offenders.
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‎In a unanimous decision delivered by Justice Oyejoju Oyewumi, the appellate court dismissed the VIO’s appeal for lacking merit and affirmed that its routine operations—stopping vehicles, confiscating them, and issuing fines—violate motorists’ constitutional rights.
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‎But the DRTS says the ruling has thrown Abuja’s traffic management into disarray. Acting Director Deborah Osho warned that road indiscipline has surged since the judgment, noting that motorists now owe more than N409 million in unpaid traffic tickets.
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‎“Airport Road has practically turned into a one-way,” she told journalists. “You cannot enforce, you cannot impound, and if you issue a ticket, they won’t pay. How do you coordinate traffic without enforcement?”
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‎The case originated from a fundamental rights suit filed by lawyer Abubakar Marshal, who accused VIO operatives of forcefully stopping him in Jabi and seizing his vehicle without lawful authority. Justice Nkeonye Maha ruled in his favour, issuing a perpetual injunction restraining the agency from future impoundments and awarding him N2.5 million in damages.
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‎As the DRTS prepares to take the matter to the Supreme Court, the debate over Abuja’s traffic control has split public opinion—between those who insist on strict enforcement to curb road chaos and those who argue that only the courts can impose penalties under the law.
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‎The Supreme Court’s final decision is now poised to redefine the balance between motorists’ rights and road safety enforcement in the nation’s capital.