By Innocent Anaba
A Lagos High Court, yesterday, adjourned till January 20, 2011, for hearing of the substantive suit challenging the legality of toll gates on the Lagos-Lekki-Epe Expressway.

A Lagos lawyer, Mr. Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, last year, dragged Lagos State government to court over the erection of toll gates on the road, which, he argued, was constructed some 20 years ago.

It will be recalled that the state government had in 2009 concessioned the road to Lekki Concession Company, LCC, for 30 years.
Counsel to LCC, at the resumed hearing in the matter, yesteday, told the court that the claimant took part in a demonstration protesting the toll collection on December 4, 2010, as reported in the media.

“Adegboruwa in the interview granted to the press, said  that the collection of  toll was nothing but political propaganda for the impending elections. It is not right for the litigant having submitted the matter to court to be part of any demonstration,” the company had argued.

and make inflammatory remarks against the Lagos State  Government,” the company had argued.

It urged the court to hear the substantive application because the issue of toll collection had been overtaken by the Lagos State government’s directive postponing the collection till further notice.

But in Adegboruwa in reply,  told the court that the LCC took laws into their hands when they announced that the toll collection will commence on January 3,  despite the pending motion for injunction.

“The representative of the LCC disregarded the authority of the court first. I think my learned friend should take that into consideration before throwing accusations,” he argued.

Trial judge in the matter, Balaji Candide_Johnson, admonished the parties and adjourned the case till January  20 for further hearing.