Abuja Court Ruling on VIO Excludes Lagos State

The Lagos State Government, through Attorney General Lawal Pedro, issued a statement clarifying that a recent judgment from the Court of Appeal in Abuja regarding the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) does not have nationwide applicability, specifically excluding Lagos State. The judgment upheld a prior decision from the Federal High Court that restrained VIO officials in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) from impounding vehicles or imposing fines on motorists.

Pedro emphasized that the court's decision was based on the absence of statutory power allowing VIO officials in the FCT to enforce such actions. While acknowledging the validity of the ruling within the FCT, the Lagos State Government stressed that it does not invalidate the enforcement activities of the VIO in Lagos.

The statement highlighted that Lagos operates under its own transport sector reform law, which explicitly empowers its Vehicle Inspection Service.