The Minister of Defence, retired General Christopher Musa has proposed the return of tollgates on major highways, saying modern technology could make them useful tools for monitoring movements and tackling criminal activities.
Musa argued that automated toll systems would enable security agencies to capture vehicle registration details, monitor traffic along interstate routes and trace suspects without relying on cash-based transactions.
In a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Leah Katung-Babatunde, the minister described the removal and demolition of tollgates across the country as a security setback.
He made the proposal while speaking at the Abuja Round Table, themed Promise to Proof: The Renewed Hope Conversation. He participated in a session examining ways to protect lives and livelihoods and make communities safer for farming, travelling and commercial activities.
Although acknowledging that tollgates had been associated with abuses in the past, Musa maintained that automated systems could address such problems and strengthen their usefulness in crime prevention.
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