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Barely 24 hours after the Court of Appeal reaffirmed that Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) have no legal powers to stop, impound, or fine vehicles on Nigerian roads, residents of Makurdi woke up to scenes of open defiance as VIO personnel mounted an illegal checkpoint near Padopas School in High Level on Friday, 5th December 2025.
Eyewitnesses reported that the officers, operating without any marked patrol vehicle, arbitrarily stopped private and commercial vehicles, impounded them, and demanded cash payments before release. Motorists who protested were reportedly threatened with further detention of their vehicles.
“This is a criminal offence after yesterday’s Court of Appeal judgement,” one angry driver told reporters at the scene. “They are turning our roads into an illegal levy collection point while hiding under uniform.”
The incident has reignited public fury across Benue State, with many describing the VIO’s actions as deliberate sabotage of a landmark ruling that has been widely celebrated by Nigerian motorists. Videos circulating online showed frustrated drivers confronting the officers, who reportedly insisted they were yet to receive official directives to stand down.
Concerned citizens and transport unions have now issued a strong appeal to the Benue State Commissioner for Transport and other relevant authorities to immediately investigate the officers involved and enforce compliance with the appellate court’s decision.
There are also direct calls to the Honourable Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Gbenda Terver, to intervene swiftly and put a permanent end to what residents now openly call “organised roadside extortion” by VIO personnel across the state.
As of the time of this report, neither the Benue State VIO office nor the Ministry of Works and Transport has issued any official statement on the High Level incident, leaving motorists wondering whether the rule of law will prevail on the streets of Makurdi or if the impunity will continue unchecked.
