The Lekki Concession Company (LCC) has postponed the resumption of toll collection at the Lekki-Ikoyi link bridge.

In a statement on Friday, Yomi Omomuwasan, the managing director of LCC, disclosed that the decision was taken to allow residents more time to register for the newly introduced e-tolling devices.

“The planned commencement of toll collection has now been postponed, allowing more of our customers to register for the electronic toll devices to enable seamless passages at the toll plaza,” Mr Omomuwasan said.

Mr Omomuwasan further revealed that a new date for the resumption would be announced soon.

While announcing plans to resume toll collection in March, the company disclosed that it would adopt the cashless toll collection policy when activities resume.

Despite the controversy surrounding the resumption of tolling operations, toll collection was arranged to resume on April 17, following the reopening of the toll plaza on April 1.

The toll gates, the focal point of the #EndSARS protests in Lagos, were closed during the demonstrations in October 2020 and were later burnt following the shooting of unarmed civilians on October 20.

The authorities in Lagos, in the wake of the continued closure of the toll plaza in 2021, pleaded with the panel to allow the company resume toll collection at the plaza.

It argued that the state was losing significant revenues due to the perpetual closure of the plaza, which has generated billions into the state coffers since it opened in 2011.

However, the LCC was granted permission to reopen the tollgates on February 6, 2021, by the Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution after five of the nine-man panel voted to return control of the toll plaza to its handlers, the LCC.

The panel’s decision sparked outrage and was widely rejected by Nigerian youths who believed that the toll plaza should remain shut to honour unarmed protesters killed during the protest.