A house of representatives ad hoc committee has called for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Obinna Aguocha, chairman of the committee interfacing with security agencies to ensure criminal activities in Isuikwuato and Umunneochi LGAs of Abia state are nipped in the bud, spoke at a hearing on Thursday. He said the release of the IPOB leader is necessary for peace to be restored in the south-east. KANU’S DETENTION The IPOB leader has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since he was extradited from Kenya in June 2021. In October 2022, the court of appeal in Abuja struck out the terrorism charge filed against Kanu by the federal government. The appellate court held that Kanu’s extradition from Kenya to Nigeria to stand trial was illegal. The federal government later filed an appeal before the supreme court, challenging the judgement — and subsequently filed an amended charge before a federal high court. The government also filed to stay the execution in the appellate court and it was granted. The supreme court heard the case in May but adjourned it to September 14. ‘KANU’S RELEASE NECESSARY FOR PEACE IN SOUTH-EAST’ The committee chairperson said it is necessary to deal with the underlying source of the problem if the insecurity challenges in the south-east must be addressed effectively. “For absolute peace, reduction of crime and criminality, investment in meaningful infrastructure development, ending the unproductive sit-at-home and improving economic growth and opportunities in the south-east, starts with the government’s recognition of the rule of law, justice, and equitable inclusion of the south-east zone in the project Nigeria and the unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from unlawful detention to ensure lasting peace and security in the entire region,” he said. The lawmaker lamented that the security situation in the south-east is not a “mere statistics or headlines”. He said the situation is a “real-life manifestation that affects the lives of our people, disrupts the functioning of our institutions and communities and impedes the growth” of the geo-political zone. “As leaders and stakeholders, it is incumbent upon us to come together, transcending our differences, to find sustainable solutions that will quell these threats and pave the way for a brighter future,” he said. There have been frequent demands from stakeholders, including from south-east governors for the release of Kanu. The IPOB leader’s continued detention has been attributed to the rising insecurity in the south-east.

  No fewer than 12 persons reportedly lost their lives in a boat mishap on River Kogi Kungra Kamfani, in Arikiya, Lafia Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. The victims were said to be going to the farm when the incident occurred, leaving 12 persons dead out of 19 on board the boat. Reacting to the mishap, the state House of Assembly described the incident as unfortunate, saying the death of the 12 persons was a great loss to the state. The lawmakers condoled with the state government, Lafia local government and the families of the deceased over the death of 12 people at a river Kogi Kungra Kamfani in Arikiya, Lafia Local Government Area of the State. Lawmakers through their Speaker, Ibrahim Abdullahi said: “It is very sad that we lost 12 people, comprising men and women in a boat mishap in Arikiya, Lafia LGA. On behalf of myself, members, staff and the entire Nasarawa people we condole with the bereaved families, Lafia LGA and the state government over their death. We pray for the reposed of their souls.”

  The Police Command in Nasarawa State has arrested a man and his wife for allegedly stealing their neighbour’s two-year-old son. DSP Ramhan Nansel, the command’s Public Relations Officer, said this, yesterday, in Lafia while briefing newsmen. Nansel said the father of the victim, Adamu Abdullahi of Orange market, Mararaba, Karu Local Government Area, reported to the Police on August 13, at about 3:30 p.m., that his two-year-old son was missing for almost two weeks. He said the complainant also told the police that he had received a phone call on the same day from an unknown person demanding a ransom of N2 million. The spokesman said police detectives were immediately deployed in search of the missing child, and their efforts led to the arrest of the prime suspect and three accomplices. According to him, the prime suspect, who is a neighbour to the victim’s father, upon interrogation, confessed to have conspired with the other suspects, all of Orange market, to steal the child. He added that the suspect also revealed to the detectives that he handed the child over to his wife, who took him to Katsina State. Nansel said the police trailed the wife to Katsina state, arrested her and recovered the child, who was reunited with his parents. The spokesman also said that the command had arrested 14 suspects between July and August for various offences including kidnapping, armed robbery and cultism.

  President Bola Tinubu has directed that issues affecting relations with the Emirates Airline, and issuance of visas to Nigerians should be “immediately’’ resolved. The President gave the directive on Thursday when he received the Ambassador of United Arab Emirates (UAE), Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi, at the State House in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. Tinubu received Letters of Credence from Al-Shamsi and two envoys at the State House. The two other envoys are Ambassador of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Awall Wagris Mohammed; and Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba, Mrs. Miriam Morales Palmero. Nigeria and the UAE have a long history of restriction of flights between both countries based on certain unresolved issues surrounding the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA). Visa restrictions later surfaced as diplomatic fireworks continue between Nigeria and the UAE, which is a top destination for Nigerian migrants and tourists. According to a statement by Tinubu’s spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, the President emphasised that he stands prepared to “personally’’ intervene in the diplomatic row between Nigeria and the UAE. “We are a family with UAE, we only live in separate rooms, but we are in the same house. We should look at the issues as a family problem, and resolve it amicably. As you know in every family, there are peculiarities. You can have an erring son, or daughter, but we must work together. We need to agree on core aviation and immigration issues,” the President was quoted as saying. On his part, the UAE Ambassador said he already sees himself as a “Nigerian’’ considering the historical antecedents of the country, its long-standing leadership role in Africa, and its reputation for hospitality to strangers. “Since I arrived in the country, I have been working on 24 agreements. We are getting somewhere. These are small issues, all within a family, and they will be resolved. I am grateful to be here in Nigeria. “I am also very grateful to meet His Excellency, President Tinubu, who is a great leader in Nigeria, and Africa. Please accept me as a Nigerian and consider me a member of your team,” he appealed.

  The National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Lagos has nullified the return of the Labour Party (LP) ’s candidate, Seyi Sowunmi as the House of Representatives member for Ojo Federal Constituency in Lagos State. Instead, the three-man panel led by Justice Abdullahi Ozegya declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Lanre Ogunyemi, as the duly elected candidate of the election conducted on February 25, 2023. The other members of the panel are Justice Ashu Ewah and Justice Muhammad Sambo. Ogunyemi, a two-term state lawmaker and former secretary of the APC in Lagos, had challenged the declaration of Sowunmi by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the winner of the election on the grounds that the respondent was not duly sponsored and qualified to contest the elections under the candidacy of Labour Party for Ojo Federal Constituency. In its judgment on the petition, the tribunal agreed with the petitioner that the candidate of the Labour Party was not qualified to contest the elections. It, therefore, declared his votes wasted and held that the second runner up, APC’s Ogunyemi, ought to have been declared winner of Ojo Federal Constituency.

  Google, Netflix, Facebook and other foreign companies operating in Nigeria have paid over N1.98tn in taxes to the account of the Federal Government in 15 months, according to findings by The PUNCH. The figure includes both Company Income Tax and Value Added Tax, and is based on data from the National Bureau of Statistics. According to the Federal Inland Revenue Service, CIT is a 30 per cent tax imposed on the profit of companies, and VAT is a 7.5 per cent consumption tax paid when goods are purchased, and services rendered and borne by the final consumer. Earlier in 2020, it was reported that the Federal Government planned to tax foreign digital service providers offering services to Nigerians and earning revenue in naira. Some of these service providers, which are video streaming sites, social media platforms, and companies that offer downloads of digital content are expected to pay digital tax to the Federal Inland Revenue Service. The former Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, had issued the Companies Income Tax (Significant Economic Presence) Order, 2020 as an amendment of the Finance Act 2019. The order aimed to impose a tax on a foreign entity with respect to certain services or digital transactions if it had a Significant Economic Presence in Nigeria. It further stated that the finance minister might, by order, determine what constitutes SEP in Nigeria. Netflix, Facebook, Twitter, among others, are some of these foreign companies that offer digital video and advertising services to Nigerians. Others, like Alibaba and Amazon, generate revenue from Nigeria by processing and transmitting data collected about users in Nigeria, provision of goods or services directly or through a digital platform, or offering intermediate services that link suppliers and customers in Nigeria. The new regulation would apply to companies with income of N25m or equivalent in other currencies from Nigeria in a year and those with a Nigerian domain name (.ng) or a website address in the country. The SEP order mandated foreign companies with sustained interactions with persons in Nigeria and customising their digital platforms to target persons in Nigeria by stating the prices of their products or services in naira to pay taxes. According to the Act, a foreign entity providing technical services such as training, advertising, supply of personnel, professional, management, or consultancy services shall have a SEP in Nigeria in any accounting year if it earns any income or receives any payment from a person resident in Nigeria or a fixed base or agent of a foreign entity in Nigeria. However, payments made to employees of a foreign entity or for teaching in an educational institution are exempt. Also, in January 2022, the Federal Government disclosed that it would charge offshore companies providing digital services to local customers in Nigeria a six per cent tax on turnover as provided in the 2021 Finance Act. Speaking further on the tax on digital services, the former finance minister, Ahmed, explained that it includes apps, high-frequency trading, electronic data storage, and online advertising, adding that “this is introducing turnover tax on a fair and reasonable basis.” The policy was contained in Section 30 of the Finance Act, which amended the provisions of Sections 10, 31, and 14 on VAT obligations for non-resident digital companies. Ahmed said, “Section 30 of the Finance Act designed to amend sections 10, 31 and 14 of VAT is in relations to VAT obligations for non-resident digital companies and the mechanism that will be used is to restrict VAT obligations mainly to digital non-resident companies who supply individuals in Nigeria who can’t themselves self-account for VAT. So if you visit Amazon, we are expecting Amazon to add VAT charge to whatever transaction you are paying for. I am using Amazon as an example. We are going to be working with Amazon to be registered as a tax agent for FIRS. So Amazon will now collect this payment and remit to FIRS and this is in line with global best practices, we have been missing out on this stream of revenue.” According to her, the new law applies to foreign companies that provide digital services such as apps, high-frequency trading, electronic data storage, online and advertising, among others. She noted that in line with Section 4 of the Finance Act, non-resident companies are now expected to pay tax at six per cent on their turnover. The minister, who stated that the government was desirous of modernising taxes for its digital economy and to improve compliance, noted that digital non-resident companies do not need to be registered locally but would have an arrangement with the FIRS to collect and remit taxes in a bid to reduce the compliance burden. Analysts at PricewaterhouseCoopers had said earlier that some of the affected foreign digital companies would be required to register for income taxes in Nigeria and file annual tax returns even if they did not have a physical presence in Nigeria. They added that Nigerian resident businesses (as well as the fixed bases of non-resident companies) that have transactions with the affected non-resident companies would also be required to account for withholding tax on some of the payments made to these foreign companies. PwC raised concerns as to how the FIRS would enforce compliance without international consensus, as a number of the companies affected might be outside the territorial reach of the agency. According to the consulting firm, the problem will also be exacerbated where the companies sell their products and services directly to individual consumers in Nigeria. However, findings by the PUNCH showed that these firms have paid over N1.98tn in taxes between the first quarter of 2022 and Q1 2023. Within the period under review, the Federal Government earned N1.32tn through CIT and N661.93bn through VAT from foreign companies. A breakdown on CIT showed that Nigeria earned N342.4bn in Q1 2022, N80.39bn in Q2 2022, N327.02bn in Q3 2022, N399.98bn in Q4 2022, and N168.23bn in Q1 2023. On a year-on-year analysis, there was a decline of 50.87 per cent

  Friday 25 August 2023 FG makes N2tn taxes from Google, Facebook, foreign firms – Report Family fault Army’s silence on senator’s aide allegedly killed by rogue soldiers LP crisis deepens as Abure rejects A’Court judgment 10 FCTA directors shun FG’s directive, refuse to retire Tinubu Directs Resolution Of Disagreements With UAE On Emirates Airline, Visa Issuance ‘I’ll Be Back Stronger,’ Says Amusan After 100m World Title Defeat Tribunal Sacks Lagos LP Rep Sowunmi, Declares APC’s Ogunyemi Winner Putin Says Prigozhin Made ‘Mistakes’ But ‘Achieved Results’ Tribunal Affirms PDP Candidates For Plateau Senate, Rep Seats Nigeria’s Unemployment Rate Drops To 4.1% In Q1 2023 — NBS Again, Tinubu Sends Islamic Leaders To Niger Republic For Dialogue Troops Destroy Illegal Refining Site In Delta State Two Dead, 37 Rescued As Building Collapses In Abuja ASUU Raises Concerns Over Non-Release Of Lecturers’ Eight Months Salaries, Others Akpata Steps Aside From Law Firm To Pursue Political Ambition Kano Govt Approves N700m For BUK Students’ Fees, N854m For Mass Wedding 24 banks lose N9.75b in Q2 2023 as fraud rises 277% Tinubu ‘blames’ clerical error for discrepancies on Chicago varsity certificate Niger coup: I’m managing very serious situation —Tinubu 12 die in Nasarawa boat mishap Police arrest man, wife for allegedly stealing neighbour’s 2-yr-old son Shettima at BRICS summit: Nigeria seeking international alliance for economic investments Information minister: We’ll be transparent with Nigerians | Era of propaganda is over Visa Ban: Tinubu Vows To Resolve Diplomatic Row Between Nigeria, UAE Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

  The management of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has confirmed that Hannatu Musawa, the minister of art, culture and creative economy, is a serving corps member. This follows a claim by the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), a civil society organisation, that Musawa is undertaking the one-year mandatory youth service scheme while she is still a member of President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet. Eddy Megwa, director of press and public relations at the NYSC headquarters, confirmed to TheCable on Thursday, that the minister is a corps member. “Yes she is a serving corp member,” Megwa wrote in a message to TheCable when he was contacted for enquiries On Monday, President Tinubu swore in 45 ministers, including Musawa as members of the federal executive council (FEC). But in a statement on Wednesday, HURIWA claimed that the culture minister is a member of NYSC, whose place of primary assignment is a law firm in Abuja. When contacted by TheCable, the minister did not answer calls put through her mobile phone, nor did she reply to messages sent to get her response. The rights group asked the management of the NYSC to compel Musawa to focus on her national youth service or the ministerial appointment. “HURIWA wondered why the correct status of Musawa wasn’t made known to the members of the public before the senate sensationally failed to screen her as it should,” the statement reads. “HURIWA wonders about the kind of scrutiny being conducted by the Department of State Services so much so that it wasn’t disclosed that the minister is actually a youth corper. The rights group alleged that years back, Musawa abandoned her NYSC in Ebonyi state but later showed interest in completing it. The organisation added that the minister was mobilised this year and got posted to a law firm in Abuja before President Tinubu picked her as a nominee. “She was confirmed by the senate without proper screening and sworn in by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as minister of arts, “HURIWA further alleged. BACKGROUND In September 2020, former President Muhammadu Buhari nominated Musawa as a national commissioner representing the north-west geopolitical zone on the national pension commission board. But the senate in October of the same year rejected her nomination over a report from the committee on establishment and public service matters that Musawa failed to provide her NYSC certificate or exemption letter. An NYSC certificate or exemption letter is a mandatory requirement for those seeking public offices on the basis of election or appointment. When the culture minister appeared before the senate during the ministerial screening, the lawmakers did not ask her any questions regarding her NYSC certificate. WHAT THE NYSC ACT SAYS However, according to the NYSC act, those who are 30 years and above are exempted from taking part in the mandatory one-year scheme. Others who are excluded are those who have served in the armed forces of the federation or the Nigeria police force for a period of more than nine months, or a staff member of the Nigerian security organisation, the state security service, the national intelligence agency, the defence intelligence service or anyone who has been conferred with any national honour.

  Chicago State University (CSU) has given a condition to release the credentials of President Bola Tinubu. Tinubu’s main opponent in the last presidential election, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had filed an application for his rival’s academic record.   Atiku had approached a US court at the northern district of Illinois in Chicago, for an order compelling the CSU to release the academic records of Tinubu. Documents sought by Atiku, through his counsel, Angela M. Liu, include record of his admission and acceptance at the university, dates of attendance including degrees, awards and honours attained by Tinubu at the university, among others Atiku informed the court that subpoena was to test the truth and veracity of Tinubu’s assertions, adding that he is currently the President of Nigeria and is facing various court proceedings concerning his election and the authenticity of documents relating to his attendance at Chicago State University.” Reacting, the university, in a document seen by Daily Trust said it does not “understand” why Tinubu’s academic records “could possibly have any bearing on a 2023 election challenge in a foreign country”. However, it said once an order is granted by a court in the United States (US), Tinubu’s academic record would be made public. The document reads: “Pursuant to this Court’s Order dated August 9, 2023 (Doc. 15), Respondent Chicago State University (the “University), for its response to the 28 U.S.C. 1782 Application filed herein by Atiku Abubakar (“Abubakar), states and submits as follows: “The University Defers to Intervener Tinubu Concerning Privacy and Relevance Issues. these issues and directly involved in that foreign proceeding-to advance procedural and relevancy objections to the Application. “In a recent conference with Abubakar’s counsel about the Application, Abubakar’s counsel confirmed that the evidentiary phase of the Nigerian proceeding has concluded, but that the information sought in the Application might be introduced in appellate proceedings to come. The University respectfully requests that this Court, in ruling on the Application, scrutinize both the actual status of the Nigerian proceeding and the likelihood that any discovery information provided by the University would in fact be considered in the Nigerian proceeding. “The University Reserves Objections to the Scope of the Discovery Sought by Abubakar. Finally, in the event the Court determines to allow any discovery to proceed here, the University urges the Court to direct only limited, targeted discovery on the University. “As leave to issue any discovery has not yet been granted, and the Court’s views on what if any discovery is appropriate here under 28 U.S.C. $1782 are not yet known, it is premature for the University to raise objections to the scope of the documents and information sought in Abubakar’s subpoenas. “But without limiting further objections, which the University expressly reserves, the University notes that the scope and relevancy of certain of Abubakar’s requests are clearly inappropriate. For example, Abubakar’s document subpoena Request No. 5 seeks information on diplomas issued by the University for a 44-year period (1979 to the present), and Abubakar’s deposition subpoena Topic No. 7 seeks information on the employment status and reasons for departure of a former employee in the University’s General Counsel’s Office. “Following this Court’s ruling on the Application, should any discovery be permitted, the University will meet and confer promptly and in good faith with Abubakar’s counsel to attempt to address all the University’s concerns.” Tinubu had earlier filed a motion to quash subpoena before the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, Chicago, USA.

  Donald Trump is to surrender on racketeering charges and likely have his mugshot taken at a Georgia jail on Thursday, setting the stage for a fourth criminal trial next year as he bids to reclaim the White House. The 77-year-old former president will be arrested at Atlanta’s notorious Fulton County Jail, accused of conspiring with 18 co-defendants to try to overturn the 2020 election result in the key southern state. The booking of the billionaire real estate tycoon in his fourth and final indictment sets up a year of unprecedented courtroom drama as he tries to balance appearing in the dock with hitting the campaign trail. The arrest comes just hours after Trump spurned a televised primary debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, featuring eight of his rivals for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination — all of whom lag well behind him in the polls. He managed to steal the spotlight, though, as the focus of questions, with all but two of the candidates saying they would support Trump as the party’s nominee even if he were convicted in any of the cases. During a rambling pre-recorded interview with former Fox News talk show host Tucker Carlson, which aired on X, formerly known as Twitter, at the same time as the debate, Trump dismissed the four criminal indictments filed against him as “nonsense.” He said the Justice Department had been “weaponized” under Democratic President Joe Biden to hamstring his White House bid. A tight security perimeter has been set up ahead of Trump’s arrival at the Fulton County Jail, an overcrowded facility that is under investigation by the Justice Department for a slew of inmate deaths and deplorable living conditions. Fani Willis, the Fulton County district attorney who brought the sweeping racketeering case, set a deadline of noon (1600 GMT) on Friday for the 19 defendants to surrender. – ‘Proudly be arrested’ – An exact time has not been given for Trump’s arrival, but the former president said in a post on his Truth Social platform that it would be Thursday afternoon. “NOBODY HAS EVER FOUGHT FOR ELECTION INTEGRITY LIKE PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP,” he posted, using all uppercase letters, adding he will “PROUDLY BE ARRESTED.” Trump was able to dodge the humiliation of having a mugshot taken during his previous arrests this year: in New York on charges of paying hush money to a porn star, in Florida for mishandling top secret government documents, and in Washington on charges of conspiring to upend his 2020 election loss. But Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat said standard procedure in Georgia is for a defendant to have a mugshot taken before they are released on bond, already set at $200,000 in Trump’s case. Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, who served as Trump’s personal lawyer when he was in the White House and vigorously pushed the false claims that Trump had won the 2020 election, was booked in the case on Wednesday. Also facing charges in Georgia are Mark Meadows, Trump’s White House chief of staff, and John Eastman, a conservative lawyer who is accused of drawing up a scheme to submit a false slate of Trump electors to Congress from Georgia instead of the legitimate Biden ones. Trump is the first US president in history to face criminal charges. The four trials will come during the Republican primary season, which begins in January, and at the height of the campaign for the November 2024 presidential vote. Special counsel Jack Smith has proposed a January 2024 start date for Trump’s trial in Washington on charges of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election, a campaign of lies that culminated in the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol by his supporters. Trump’s attorneys have countered with an April 2026 start date—well after the 2024 election. Georgia prosecutors want the racketeering case to begin in March 2024, the same month Trump is scheduled to go on trial in New York on charges of paying hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels on the eve of the 2016 election. The Florida case, in which Trump is accused of taking secret government documents as he left the White House and refusing to return them, is scheduled to begin in May.