· Lawyer kicks, says violation of subsisting order
· e-enforcement legal, DRTS claims
· Residents warn of resistance
By Sarah NEGEDU
The recent re-emergence of officials of the FCT Directorate of Road Traffic Services, DRTS, otherwise known as VIO, on Abuja roads, has left many confused as to the status of the Federal High Court judgement which barred the service from stopping and impounding offending vehicles in the territory.
The October 2, 2024, judgment delivered by Justice Evelyn Maha, of the Federal High Court in Abuja, restrained the DRTS from stopping, impounding, or confiscating vehicles on the road.
Justice Maha, who issued the order in a judgment on a fundamental rights enforcement suit marked, FHC/ABJ/CS/1695/202, also barred the VIO from imposing fines on motorists, stressing that doing so was wrongful, oppressive, and unlawful by themselves.
However, after just four months of compliance to the judgment, officials of the VIO seem to be back on roads under the guise of introducing the e-ticketing and central booking system for traffic offenders.
Director of service, Dr Abdul-Lateef Bello, while flagging off the booking system in February, insisted that the new system was in compliance with the FCT Transportation Secretariat’s strategy of e-enforcement and penalty system.
Despite the reasons given, stakeholders view this development as the return of the VIO and an outright violation of the court ruling which stopped the officers against impounding vehicles.
Human rights activist and public interest lawyer, Abubakar Marshal, accused the DRTS of openly defying the court’s order and also harassing motorists.
He noted that though the VIO had appealed against the judgment, their activities on the roads amount to utter violation of binding and subsisting orders since the Appeal Court was yet to give its verdict on the matter.
Marshal in a letter to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike warned that failure to comply within seven days would result in legal action.
The letter dated March 12, 2025, alleged that the resumed operations has led to confrontations with motorists.
“Sadly, the officials of the Directorate of Road Traffic Services in utter violation of binding and subsisting orders, have resumed the stoppage, impounding, confiscation of cars and the imposition of fines within the FCT.
“We have been inundated with calls over the renewed illegal activities of the VIO within the FCT and have moved around the capital city to confirm their illegal operations, which have led to violent confrontations between some of these officials and vexed motorists. Video evidence abound.”
He further emphasized that as a senior member of the legal profession, Wike must ensure that agencies under his authority do not act in “egregious and contemptuous disdain of an express order of the court.”
Marshal said, “As a senior member of the legal profession, we are perturbed that officials under your command and authority could embark on such egregious and contemptuous disdain of an express order of court.
“On account of the foregoing dear minister, you are hereby required to employ the instrumentality of your good offices to restore compliance with the foregoing positive and binding orders pending the final determination of the appeal and cross-appeal processes.
“Please note that upon failing to comply with the foregoing request, seven days commencing from the date of receipt of this letter, we shall take all legal steps to commit you to prison for contempt of the orders of the court.”
Recall that the DRTS, while introducing the controversial e-ticketing system in February, explained that vulnerable areas in the city have been provided with both manned and unmanned devices that will be recording issues of traffic violations.
Director of the DRTS, Dr Abdul-Lateef Bello, stated that the service was seeking approval of the authority whether to now ask violators to pay in arrears or to give approval for a certain timeline for DRTS to begin to effect fines and payments.
“Henceforth, all violators of traffic issues will now be booked electronically and they will be served with their tickets for seven days. If they fail to pay the fine, then the vehicle will be impounded.
“You don’t have to have cameras in all the traffic lights. But there are areas, vulnerable areas in the city that have been provided both man and unmanned devices that will be recording issues of traffic violations.”
Though the DRTS is insisting that its recent activities was not the same as their operations before the court judgement, the heavy presence of VIO officers in parts of the FCT has left residents confused on the status of the October 2024 judgement.
Our correspondent observed regular presence of VIO officials in areas around the Berger Roundabout, Area 1, Dutse Junction, AYA, Karu Bridge, and other busy intersections in the territory.
Some residents of the FCT, who spoke to our correspondent, demanded for clarification as to the reason for their return.
A car owner, James Ulaji, who was recently stopped around the Berger Roundabout, accused the officials of being unprofessional in their approach when he demanded to know why they were on the road.
“The truth is many of us don’t know in what capacity the VIO officers are back on the road. About six VIO officials stopped me on Thursday at Berger Roundabout and I asked them why they were on the road since we all know there’s an existing court ruling against them. The next thing they told me was I should just pray my documents are up to date if not I will have it rough from them.”
He suggested that the FCT Administration would have to do a lot of sensitisation to educate toad users of the return of VIO in Abuja.
Another car owner who simply gave his name as Mamza, recounted his encounter with VIO officers around Dutse Junction last Wednesday, when he was stopped and booked for having a cracked windscreen.
“My experience with them last week was not pleasant. These guys seem to have returned with a vendetta and it’s unfair to we the masses, especially since there is no court judgement that has contradicted the existing one.
“These guys stopped me and said my windshield was cracked that they were booking me, I told them I wasn’t going to pay since their return to the road was not legal, but they went ahead to book me and threatened to deal with me if I don’t pay the fine or change it windscreen. I could even respond because I didn’t know who was on the right side of the law as at then.”
Also, contrary to official announcement by the DRTS Director that only violators would be stopped, some responders claim to have been stopped by VIO officials and their cars and documents searched.
“I was shocked when they stopped me and asked for my papers, but as a law abiding citizen, I showed them my papers and luckily everything was in order and they allowed me go. But honestly I was confused since we were told VIO are no longer allowed in Abuja,” a motorist told this correspondent.
Attempts by The Abuja Inquirer to get reactions from the DRTS were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent to the director were left unanswered.
However, recall that the Director had told the media that service had since appealed the court injunction that stops VIO from impounding vehicles on Abuja roads.
 | ReplyReply allForwardAdd reaction |
