Niger exempts self from court ruling on VIO

The Executive Director of the Niger State Motor Vehicle Administration Agency, Dr. Bako Mohammed, has announced that the recent Federal High Court ruling prohibiting Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) from stopping vehicles on the road does not apply to Niger State.

This clarification was made during a press conference in Minna, ahead of the upcoming National Conference on Standardization and Harmonization of Vehicle Testing and Licensing.

Dr. Bako stated that the Niger State government, under the constitutional powers of the governor, is authorized to establish laws governing vehicular movement within the state. As a result, the state’s VIO will continue its operations, unaffected by the Federal High Court’s judgment.

The Federal High Court in Abuja had ruled that VIO officers lacked the legal authority to stop vehicles, seize them, or impose fines on motorists. The ruling, delivered by Justice Nkeonye Evelyn Maha, declared that no law grants the VIO such powers.

Despite this, Dr. Bako highlighted that Niger State would maintain its existing practices. He also underscored the importance of the forthcoming National Conference of Directors of Road Traffic, which will focus on creating unified standards for vehicle policies, safety, and security across Nigeria.

Scheduled to take place in Niger State, the conference aims to harmonize vehicle testing and licensing procedures nationwide, ensuring consistency in motor vehicle administration across all states.

With the state’s decision to continue VIO operations, the issue has reignited discussions on the extent of state authority in regulating road traffic and whether federal rulings should uniformly apply across Nigeria’s regions.