N234m Lost To Tollgates Closure As End SARS Protests Continue

 

At least 234 million Naira that would have been generated from the Lekki tollgates was lost due to the closure of the tollgate as the #EndSARS protests continue.

Today, October 19, is the 11th day of the protests.

On Saturday 3 October 2020, a video started trending on social media showing a SARS police officer shoot a young Nigerian in front of Wetland Hotel, Ughelli, Delta State.

On Thursday, October 8, 2020, nation-wide protests on ENDSARS began after weeks of outcry against police brutality in Nigeria.

On Sunday, October 11, the Inspector General of Police announced that SARS has been dissolved. But this did not deter protesters and they continued to gather at key locations in different states across the country to demand an end to police brutality.

One of the protest locations is the Lekki tollgate. Protesters gather there round the clock, including the ones who stay overnight, making it impossible for vehicles to pass the tollgate.

As a result, at least 234 million Naira that would have been generated from commuters at the tollgate has been lost. However, the state has continued to generate money from adverts at the toll plazas.

The figure was obtained from the daily and monthly targets set for the tollgates by the government, which owns the tollgates managed by the Lekki Concession Company, Punch reports.

A Lagos State commissioner, who wished to remain anonymous, told the publication that the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge was expected to generate about N10m daily, while the Admiralty Circle Plaza along the Lekki-Epe Expressway was not expected to generate less than N16.6m a day.

The commissioner said the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge was not expected to generate less than N300m monthly, while the Admiralty Circle Plaza generates about N500m monthly.

“At least 80,000 cars use the tollgates every day. The figure could be higher or lower depending on the day of the week. However, since the protests started, the Lekki tollgate has been completely shut, while the Ikoyi one has been left permanently open for people to use without payment,” he said.