Niger Gov’t Distances Self From Court Ruling Prohibiting VIO From Stopping Vehicles 

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

Bako said this during a press conference in Minna, the State capital, ahead of the National Conference on Standardisation and Harmonization of Vehicle Testing and Licensing, explaining that the State governor is constitutionally empowered to create laws regulating vehicular movement within the state.

He maintained that the governor’s veto power means that VIO in Niger State will continue its operations as usual, in contrast to the Federal High Court’s ruling.

LEADERSHIP recalls that the ruling, delivered by Justice Nkeonye Evelyn Maha of the Federal High Court in Abuja, declared that the VIO lacks legal authority to stop vehicles, confiscate them, or impose fines on motorists.

Justice Maha maintained that no law grants the VIO such powers.

But, Bako stressed that the upcoming National Conference of Directors of Road Traffic will aim to propose a unified standard for motor vehicle policies, safety, and security across the country.

Scheduled to be held in Niger State, the forthcoming conference will focus on harmonising vehicle testing and licensing procedures nationwide.