BY ODAFE ISHARO
THE Delta State High Court sitting in Asaba has dismissed a lawsuit seeking to restrain the Delta State Signage and Advertisement Agency (DESSA) from collecting levies on billboards, signposts, and other forms of outdoor advertising across the state.
The suit was instituted by the Billboard Owners and Outdoor Practitioners Association of Delta State, which challenged the legal authority of the Delta State Government and DESSA to issue demand notices and collect fees for outdoor advertising.
Court records indicate that the action was filed in July 2025. In response, the Delta State Government opposed the suit, maintaining that DESSA is lawfully empowered under existing laws to regulate outdoor advertising and collect the associated levies.
The claimants relied on an earlier judgment delivered by a High Court in Warri, which they argued had restrained the state and its agencies from collecting advertising levies. On this basis, they urged the court to issue a perpetual injunction barring DESSA from further collections.
However, the state government countered the claims, arguing that the suit was incompetent and improperly constituted. It further submitted that the issues raised were contentious and could not be resolved without the presentation of full evidence.
The government also drew the court’s attention to recent Supreme Court decisions, as well as a 2024 amendment to the Delta State signage and advertising law, which expressly vests DESSA with the authority to regulate and collect levies on outdoor advertising. Existing agreements between the state and local governments were also cited in support of DESSA’s mandate.
At the hearing of the matter on January 21, 2026, counsel to the billboard owners, C. E. Obiazi informed the court that his clients had decided to withdraw the suit.
Counsel for the Delta State Government, S. O. Monye urged the court not to merely strike out the case but to dismiss it outright, arguing that both parties had already fully argued their positions.
In his ruling, the presiding judge agreed with the submissions of the state government and dismissed the suit, thereby bringing the legal challenge against DESSA’s authority to an end.
