Court bans tolls collection on Lekki- Ikoyi bridge

A Federal High Court, Lagos has barred
the Lagos State Government from
further collecting of tolls from users of
the Lekki-Ikoyi Suspension Bridge.
Justice Saliu Saidu, in a judgment on
Thursday declared that since the bridge
was built by public funds, imposition of
tolls on motorists using it was illegal.
The court held that the power of control
of all navigable waterways in Nigeria,
resides with the federal government.
The court held that since it was public
funds that was used for building the
bridge there was no basis for the public-
private partnership arrangement which
was adduced as the justification for toll
collection on the bridge.
The suit was instituted by a civil rights
lawyer, Mr. Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa,
against the Attorney-General of the
Federation, the National Inland
Waterways Authority, the Lagos State
Government and the state Attorney-
General.
Adegboruwa had urged the court to
determine whether the imposition of
tolls on the users of the bridge and
residents of Lekki Scheme 1, Ikoyi, Ajah,
Ibeju-Lekki and Epe communities, did
not amount to a violation of their rights.