My experience with VIO in Lifecamp/gwarinpa Abuja

VIO officers stopped me at lifeCamp junction on 4th Monday December 2023. My vehicle paper expired 2nd December 2023 ( on Saturday) for me to renew it on Monday 4th

They did not believe me when I said I was about to renew it the same day, they insisted they would follow me to their office for immediate renewal.

I told the officer that I would drive behind them, they refused and insisted that one of them will enter my car and follow me to the office, I was left with no choice but to allow him.

When we got to the office the officer told another man to collect five hundred from me for inspection, the man said it’s now one thousand Naira for him to inspect my car. I told him I will pay it together with the paper renewal fee, he said his own is different and that I should give him cash. I gave him one thousand Naira cash for him to inspect my car.

Officer Mo collected my papers and said I should pay 25,000 for renewal and 20,000 for driving with expired papers, I told him that the paper expired 2nd Saturday and I was about to renew it on 4th Monday before I was stopped by the officer and that the 20,000 was outrageous.

He said I should pay for the renewal and negotiate with his boss for the fine. I paid 25,000 cash for the renewal and I met the boss and explained that my papers expired on 2nd Saturday and was about to renew on 4th Monday before I was stopped, he said he did not believe I was going to renew it the same day before I was stopped and that he can only reduce the fine to 10,000 and that the law is renewal should be made before the exact day of expiration, and also that I was not supposed to drive the vehicle that day, I told him if I didn’t come with the vehicle that how will they inspect it?

I left his office and went to pay the 10,000 Naira “fine”, the officer in charge of the payment said I will pay 11,000 Naira, charges inclusive. I paid and she snapped the receipt with my phone because they couldn’t print due to power outage.

I proceeded to give the officer with my papers snapshot of the payment, he said due to the power outage, I might need to come for it the following day and that officer Es should write a permit to allow me drive before my papers are ready.

I went on 5th officer Mo said officer Es took the paperwork home that I should come later in the day, that she is on afternoon duties, I left and returned by 2pm and he said that she has not resumed that I should come back the following day.

I was at their office on 6th and Officer Mo said the lady has not resumed due to health concerns and that he will print the documents all over again. I told him that the implications is that I will have 2 original documents as one is missing and he is about to print another. He said I should go and come back the following day.

In conclusion I think they are delaying issuance of the documents intentionally for reasons best known to them. I will be driving with the permit given to me till the date expire and go back for another permit or hopefully my papers will be ready!

In my opinion VIO should give a pamphlet listing the expected time for renewal ( because I think being asked to pay 20,000 fine on Monday for papers that expired over the weekend is outrageous).

Also they should include in the pamphlet the likely offenses and the fine/payment ascribed to it for public knowledge.

Are they supposed to be on the road,I think there is court order stopping them from operating on the roads.

zarathustra:
Are they supposed to be on the road,I think there is court order stopping them from operating on the roads.

They are on the road only to bill motorists not keep them informed!