Headlines
Reps to Probe N20 Trillion ‘Non-Remitted’ Stamp Duty
The House of Representatives has resolved to probe an alleged non-remittance of stamp duty revenue by deposit banks in the country.
The lawmakers paased the resolution after adopting a motion of urgent national importance brought before it by Goni Lawal (APC, Yobe).
The stamp duty is the tax placed on legal documents, usually in the transfer of assets or property.
The house resolution is coming months after an FOI request was sent in July on behalf of LeaksNG to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), and the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) PLC.
The information requested were a report of stamp duty remittances by Deposit Money Banks and other financial institutions, the current status of the stamp duty central account domiciled in the CBN, stamp duty revenue remitted to the CBN by NIBSS between 2016 and 2017 and amount of revenue collected by NIPOST between 2010 and 2016.
The lawmakers accused banks and other federal agencies involved in the collection of the fund of “shortchanging the nation”.
Moving the motion, Mr Lawan urged his colleagues to investigate the matter after “efforts by both local and international civil society organizations to get details of the collections have failed.”
He said the Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST) had in 2014 initiated the stamp duty collection scheme, after which the School Banking Honours (SBH) obtained authorisation of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to engage the banks and other collection agents.
“But public institutions, including the CBN, Nigeria Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS), NIPOST, among others, have over time failed to remit stamp duty taxes into the federation account running into trillions,” he said.
“While the deductible amount per bank account may seem small, it cumulatively adds up to money in trillions of naira, and must be subjected to the full condition of disclosure and transparency.”
The lawmaker added that such funds, if made available, could have been used for infrastructural development “or at least should have generated some interests in the private accounts where the fund is domiciled.”
Some lawmakers also raised concern over the issue which they said “is in disobedience to the treasury single account (TSA) policy”.
The Speaker Yakubu Dogara, while commenting on the issue said it is unacceptable for the banks to fail to remit the stamp duties to the CBN.
The speaker set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the whereabouts of the fund and report back in four weeks.
Premium Times
Lawyers representing Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan have issued a fresh demand to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), insisting that their client must be served with the recall petition and all supporting documents within 24 hours.
In a letter addressed to the INEC Chairman, the legal team from J.S. Okutepa SAN & Co. reminded the commission that they had previously written on March 24 and March 25, 2025, requesting service of the petition.
However, they noted that no action had been taken.
“Several days have passed since our communication to your office on the urgency of the matter,” they stated, emphasising that withholding the petition could create “negative impressions in the minds of the public and affected persons, when this could easily have been avoided.”
Citing the case of Senator Dino Melaye & 7 Ors. Vs. Independent National Electoral Commission & 3 Ors. (Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/567/2017), the lawyers stressed that for the recall process to proceed, INEC must serve the affected senator with the necessary documents.
“For a recall process to proceed, the 1st Defendant should serve on the 1st Plaintiff a copy of the petition, together with all the documents accompanying it,” they quoted from the ruling.
The legal team listed the required documents, including “the recall petition, the schedule of signatures attached to the petition, and the full list of persons in support of the recall process,” which were explicitly referenced in the petition.
According to the letter, failure to comply within 24 hours would be seen as an attempt to “undermine the fundamental right of our client to be served the petition said to have been received by your commission.”
“We hope that your commission is not allowing itself to be used in sabotage.
“We therefore reiterate, that you cause the said petition and all attachments to be served within 24 hours from the date of this letter,” the letter added, urging INEC to uphold fairness and due process.
The Rivers State Government has suspended all political office holders and appointees with immediate effect.
A statement issued on Wednesday by the Chief of Staff to the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), listed the affected officers as follows:
The Secretary to the State Government (SSG)
The Chief of Staff
All Honourable Commissioners
Chairmen and members of boards, councils of agencies, commissions, institutions, and parastatals
All Special Advisers, Special Assistants, and Senior Special Assistants
The statement further directed the suspended officials to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries in their respective ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).
In cases where no Permanent Secretary is in place, the most senior Director or Head of Administration is to take over.
This directive takes effect from Wednesday, March 26, 2025.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has withdrawn from the case filed by the suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against the leadership of the senate.
Justice Egwuatu, recused himself from the matter on Tuesday after lawyers to the parties in the suit announced their appearances.
He said he was stepping down from the matter because of the petition written by Senate President Godswilll Akpabio, alleging he was biased.
The presiding judge said he would will return the case file to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, so the matter could be reassigned to another judge.
Justice Egwuatu had on March 4, given an an interim order that stopping the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions from going ahead with the disciplinary proceedings started against t Akpoti-Uduaghan who was alleged to have broken senate rules.
The judge gave the senate leadership 72 hours to show cause why it should not issue an order of interlocutory injunction to stop them from probing the plaintiff for alleged misconduct, without affording her the privileges stipulated in the 1999 Constitution, as amended, the Senate Standing Order 2023, and the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act.
But the Senate Committee still went ahead to hold its sitting where it recommended Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months suspension.
However, the judge later amended the interim order by vacating the aspect that stopped the Senate from from taking any action pending the outcome of the suit.
