By Christiana Gokyo, Jos
The Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) in Plateau State will resume field operations on Monday, November 9, 2026, following nearly two months of suspension to allow for stakeholder engagement and institutional reassessment.
The suspension, which began on September 19, 2026, followed public reports of harassment involving VIO officers and members of the public.
It was implemented as part of efforts to ensure public safety and restore confidence in the agency.
Addressing journalists ahead of the resumption, the Commissioner for Transport, Davou Jatua Gyang, said the return to field operations would not be a return to “business as usual” but a transition towards improved professionalism, accountability and respect for road users.
He disclosed that during the suspension period, the Ministry held consultations with the Traditional Council, the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Public Complaints Commission, Jama’atu Nasril Islam, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), civil society organisations, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).
According to the commissioner, the engagements were aimed at gathering feedback on improving service delivery, strengthening public relations and ensuring that officers conduct themselves with courtesy, proportionality and respect for citizens’ rights.
He said officers returning to the field were expected to maintain high standards of professionalism, accountability and respect for the dignity of road users.
Gyang encouraged motorists to comply with traffic regulations and interact only with duly authorised VIO personnel.
He also urged members of the public to report cases of intimidation or unprofessional conduct through official channels rather than resorting to physical confrontation.
The commissioner further announced the provision of a dedicated rapid-response telephone line for reporting incidents of intimidation, assuring the public that all complaints of harassment or intimidation would be investigated in accordance with established procedures.
Meanwhile, he disclosed that two suspects had been arrested in connection with recent assaults on VIO officers and were currently facing prosecution by the Nigeria Police Force.
The VIO reiterated its zero-tolerance policy towards assaults on officers performing their lawful duties, advising members of the public to channel their grievances directly to the Ministry through established internal mechanisms rather than taking the law into their own hands.