HURIWA opposes the FG’s planned toll on the 2nd Niger Bridge, claiming it was looted by Abacha and Ibori

On Thursday, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) slammed the Federal Government for planning to charge tolls on the nearly completed 1.6-kilometer-long Second Niger Bridge, which connects Anambra and Delta States.

HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, said in a statement that the project was funded by taxpayers’ money returned in the form of loot recovered from former Nigerian military leaders General Sani Abacha and James Ibori.

According to the group, tolling the bridge, which is about to become Nigeria’s only road with a toll gate, is an injustice not only to Southern Nigeria, but to the entire country, because the bridge is used by both southerners and northerners.

HURIWA argued that the returned $332.4 million Abacha loot from the US, as well as the £4.2 million Ibori loot paid to the Federal Government of Nigeria by the UK, are the stolen commonwealth of all Nigerians and should be used to improve critical infrastructure for the benefit of the entire country.

“As a result, after a decade of project stalemate, it is unacceptable that the Second Niger Bridge will be tolled upon completion,” the group stated.

On Channels Television on Wednesday, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Minister of Works and Housing, stated that the temporarily opened Second Niger Bridge will be tolled in the same manner as the Lekki toll gate in Lagos.

The Bridge was opened to traffic from December 15, 2022, to January 15, 2023, to ease the experience of travelers during the Yuletide break before the final delivery date of May 20, 2023.

“The bombshell dropped by Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), that the Second Niger Bridge will be tolled is totally unacceptable and a betrayal by the President’s regime, Major General Muhammadu Buhari,” Onwubiko responded (retd.).

“The Buhari regime has pledged to use the $332.4 million recovered Abacha loot and the £4.2 million returned Ibori loot to fund the construction of the Second Niger Bridge, the Lagos-Ibadan and Abuja-Kano Expressways, all of which will benefit the citizens of these important regions.

“The United Kingdom and the United States specifically demanded that the Nigerian government commit to using the two recovered loots for infrastructure development through the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority.

“As a result, HURIWA considers the Buhari regime’s decision to plan the tolling of the Second Niger Bridge to be traitorous and absurd. That is entirely unacceptable. For the first time, Nigerians should be able to enjoy their stolen taxes and resources returned in the form of Abacha and Ibori loots. HURIWA urges all Nigerians to oppose the proposed tolling of the Second Niger Bridge, which would be the only federally constructed bridge to be tolled.”