A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to pay a firm – Kasmal International Services – N579,130,698,440 for assisting the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) to collect stamp duty between January 1, 2015 and January 31, 2020. The court also ordered the CBN to pay the N579 billion judgment sum along with 10 percent interest per annum. Justice Inyang Ekwo handed down the judgement on Friday in a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/335/2024 filed by Kasmal, with the CBN and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice as defendants. Justice Ekwo faulted the defendants’ contention that NIPOST lacked the statutory power to collect stamp duties and that the agreement it (NIPOST) reached with the plaintiff was illegal. The judge declared that a previous judgment on stamp duty given in favour of the plaintiff still subsisted as it is yet to be contradicted by any higher court. Justice Ekwo faulted the argument by the CBN and the AGF that the reliefs sought by the plaintiff could not be granted because all revenues accruing to the federation, including the stamp duties, are remitted into the Federation Account, which could only be distributed among the tiers of government as provided in the Constitution. The judge noted that the CBN had earlier paid Kasmal N10.3 billion, representing 15 percent of the remitted stamp duty paid by all Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) between January 1, 2015, and January 31, 2020, from the CBN NIPOST Stamp Duty Collection Account No. 3000047517. He said: “I find, at the end, that the CBN and the AGF have not effectively controverted the case of the plaintiff. The plaintiff, having made a credible case, ought to succeed on the merit, and I so hold. “It is my opinion that this case is predicated on the fact that the first and second defendants have had transactions with the plaintiff before by paying the plaintiff the sum of N10.3billion, being 15 percent of remitted stamp duty.” The plaintiff, represented by Dr. Alex Izinyon (SAN), had claimed that NIPOST appointed it to represent it (NIPOST) in the collection of N50 on all receipts given by any bank or financial institution in acknowledgement of services rendered concerning electronic transfers and teller deposits of N1,000 and above, in compliance with the Stamp Duties Act and the Nigeria Financial Regulations 2009. He added that the terms of the agreement between NIPOST and the plaintiff included the remuneration of N7.50 from every N50 deduction. Kasmal prayed the court for an order directing the 1st and 2nd Defendants to pay the plaintiff the sum of N579,130,698,440 or any other sum as may be adjudged by this Court upon the production of the records relating to the collection of stamp duty between January 1, 2015, and January 31, 2020, representing 15% of all accrued deposits paid into or which ought to have been paid into the CBN NIPOST Stamp Duty Collection Account No. 3000047517 by all Deposit Money Banks (DMBs). “An order directing the 1st (CBN) and 2nd Defendants to pay the plaintiff an interest payment of 10% per annum on the sum of N579,130,698,440 or any other sum as may be adjudged by this Court upon the production of the records relating to the collection of stamp duty between January 1, 2015, and January 31, 2020, representing 15% of all accrued deposits paid into or which ought to have been paid into the CBN NIPOST Stamp Duty Collection Account No. 3000047517 by all Deposit Money Banks (DMBs).”

The International President of Médecins Sans Frontières, also known as Doctors Without Borders, Christos Christou, has said there is serious increase in the number of malnourished children in northern Nigeria. Christou, who said this on Friday at a press briefing in Abuja after he visited Maiduguri, noted that between January and August this year, there had been a 51 per cent increase in admissions of children with severe a compared to the same period last year. He said people in northern Nigeria had been through a lot with overwhelming levels of malnutrition, frequent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, and lack of medical facilities and medical personnel; compounded by continuous insecurity. “During my visit to Maiduguri, I visited the hospitals and clinics where MSF works. We support the local healthcare system in tackling malaria and other diseases, as well as in providing access to maternity services. Recently, we had to launch a cholera treatment centre, after a cholera outbreak was officially declared. All this has happened in the background of a catastrophic malnutrition crisis. “One of my colleagues, a Nigerian doctor who has been working with MSF for more than eight years, told me that this year is very different. Every year, he said, during this season, we see terrible numbers of malnourished children coming to the hospital in a severe condition. But this year, at a time when the peak is supposed to be over, the number of patients admitted to the hospital is not going down. “Worse, the condition in which they arrive is even more severe than usual. Very often people don’t have access even to basic medical care where they live and do not have enough money or available transport. As a result, they reach to us too late,” he explained. According to him, many organisations that were providing support in Maiduguri and other parts of the north have reduced their budgets or even stopped their operations. He said, “For the past few years, MSF has seen a significant increase in the number of admissions for malnutrition. The numbers in 2022 and 2023 were already critically high. But between January to August this year, we have seen a 51 per cent increase in admissions of children with severe malnutrition, compared to the same period last year. Over the first eight months of this year, we have treated 52,725 children with severe malnutrition, a life-threatening condition, across the whole of northern Nigeria.” Corroborating, a head of mission, MSF, Ahmad Bilal stated that in states where MSF is operational, there have been 200,000 admissions in ambulatory therapeutic feeding centres and 52,000 admissions from January to August compared to that of last year. “With last year, the ATFCs admission increased by 50 per cent while the inpatient therapeutic feeding centres admission increased by 60 per cent. There was a time where we were putting two patients in one bed and this is a concern when we see that increase by over 50 per cent.”

Sunday 13 October 2024 Police hunt cultists for killing Ogun councillorship candidate PDP crisis: Party summons emergency meeting Monday DSS intervenes in NNPCL/marketers dispute Transporters, commuters groan over fuel price hike in S’East Retired policemen threaten to resume protest over pension scheme ‘This Is Unfortunate And Insensitive,’ Peter Obi Speaks On Fresh Petrol Price Hike Why I Won’t Challenge Edo Election Result – Akpata Economy: Most Northerners Can’t Afford A Square Meal Per Day, CNG Decries EFCC Declares Oil Mogul Bolaji Akinduro Wanted Over Alleged Fraud FG Incurs ₦380bn Electricity Subsidy Bill Q2 2024 — NERC Court to rule on forfeiture of $2m, property linked to Emefiele on November 1 Reps move to establish Bola Ahmed Tinubu University US accuses Allen Onyema of obstruction of justice in amended ‘money laundering’ charge N1,030 PMS: Petrol price may go up again, experts warn EndBadGovernance Protests: Tinubu’s Confab raises dust as CSOs demand slots for protesters Edo Guber: Obaseki caused PDP, Ighodalo’s defeat — Idahosa Ex-Gov Makarfi’s Son Dies In Road Accident Tinubu Will Tackle Growing Unemployment Rate – Shettima Dangote to begin crude oil production soon-Report Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

Another university may be added to the pool of existing ones following the passage for first reading on Thursday, by the House of Representatives of a bill to establish the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Federal University of Nigerian Languages. The bill, sponsored by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, and eight others, is aimed at establishing a university for the promotion of the learning of Nigerian languages. Section II part I of the bill obtained by PUNCH Online on Saturday, provides that the university when established shall, “Encourage the advancement of learning and to hold out to all persons without distinction of race, creed, sex or political conviction, the opportunity of acquiring a higher education in Nigerian languages and cultures.” It also aims to “Develop and offer academic and professional programmes leading to the award of diplomas, first degrees, postgraduate research and higher degrees with emphasis on planning, adaptive, developmental and productive skills in the field of Nigerian languages and cultures. This is aimed at, “Producing socially mature persons with capacity to communicate, understand and use Nigerian languages for national development.” The federal institution, when established would also “Act as agents and catalysts, through postgraduate training, research and innovation for the effective and economic utilization, exploitation and conservation of Nigeria’s natural, economic and human resources. “Establish appropriate relationships with other national institutions involved in training, research and development of Nigerian languages and cultures. “Provide and promote sound basic training as a foundation for the development of Nigerian languages as well promote and emphasise teaching and research activities around Nigerian languages, including outreach programmes, in-service training, continuing education, and adaptive research,” among others. The mandate of the university as spelt out in Section 1(2) includes “To teach and train high calibre Nigerian languages professionals. “Provide Nigerian language services and consultancy. “Conduct research and participate in outreach and community services and facilitate the acquisition of knowledge and skills in different Nigerian languages.” The President who is the visitor to the university, in Section 14 (2), is required to “As often as the circumstances may require, not being less than once every five years, conduct a visitation of the university or direct that such a visitation be conducted by such person or persons as the visitor may deem fit and in respect of any of the affairs of the university.” Sub-section 3 provides that “It shall be the duty of the bodies and persons comprising the university to make available to the visitor and to any other person conducting a visitation in pursuance of this section, such facilities and assistance as he or they may reasonably require for the purposes of a visitation.” The Visitor (President) is also vested with the powers to remove from office council members apart from the pro-chancellor and the vice-chancellor of the university. Section 15 (1) reads, “If it appears to the council that a member of the council (other than the pro-chancellor or the vice-chancellor) should be removed from office on the ground of misconduct or inability to perform the functions of his office or employment, the council shall make a recommendation to that effect through the Minister to the President after making such enquiry, if any, as may be considered appropriate. “If the President approves the recommendation, he may direct the removal of the person in question from office.” The bill is expected to be listed for a second reading in the weeks ahead in preparation for a public hearing to garner stakeholders’ input.

Northern youths, under the aegis of Coalition of North Group, have decried the impact of the recent devaluation of the naira, inflation, petroleum subsidy removal, increase in electricity tariffs, and insecurity, among others, on the conditions of living in northern Nigeria. Saying that the country “is no longer working”, the youths lamented that the failures of formal and informal institutions have over the years compounded the challenges. “We don’t have the time to lament. All of us know that we are in a serious problem. Nigeria is no longer working. People are suffering. People can no longer afford even one square meal. We are not talking about the three square meals per day. “Insecurity is walking with two legs in the northern part of the country.” President of the CNG, Jamilu Charanchi lamented on Saturday at a one-day community engagement programme organised by the CNG Katsina State chapter under the theme: “Imperative of Popular Participation in Tackling Socio-Economic Challenges Bedeviling Nigeria Through Community Solutions.” Charanchi gave background on the informed decision for community engagement, saying the group has realised that leaders especially from the region are not ready to address the outlined problems, hence there was a need for them to take the bull by its horns in the contribution of the development of the region. “Northern Nigeria, a region rich in cultural heritage, human and natural resources, holds significant potential for contributing to Nigeria development. “Despite this, the region remains the least developed, grappling with drug abuse, youth restiveness, the collapse of social values, and high levels of poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, and insecurity, which translate socio-economic indices in relation to other regions. “To tackle the region’s persistent challenges, the Coalition Northern Groups implemented several interventions, including a two-day roundtable insecurity in Northern Nigeria held in January 2024 at the Nigerian Air Resource Center in Abuja. Despite these efforts and some progress made, the North continues to experience a rise in banditry and other issues, indicating need for increased commitment from all stakeholders to effectively address these problems,” Charanchi said. He said “The recent devaluation of the naira, inflation, petroleum subsidy removal, increase in electricity tariffs, and insecurity have further deteriorated the living conditions of the people. “Millions of people lost their means of livelihood and wallowed in abject poverty. The consequences of these challenges have become more apparent during the recent violent national protests against hunger and general hardship, which have resulted in significant loss of life and destruction of public and private properties. “In response to these pressing issues, the CNG recognises that for decades, northern Nigeria has been suffering from leadership decay, collapse of societal values, immorality, and lack of leadership values. These challenges have over the years culminated in a pervasive leadership crisis leading to poverty, unemployment, and illiteracy, evident in the high number of out-of-school children and insecurity across the north.” H said the CNG believes that “there is a need for a paradigm shift from government-based to society-based solutions that would enable comprehensive assessment and a coordinated approach toaddress the underlying causes of these challenges by the members of the community.” He again noted that the recent violent protest is a consequence of decades of failure by northern Nigeria’s political leadership to harness the potential of the region. “At the same time, the failures of formal and informal institutions have over the years compounded the challenges. Hence, there is a need for collective action to address these challenges and promote development in the region. “This engagement aims to examine the current state of affairs in Northern Nigeria, focusing on the rising moral decadence among our youths and, the socio-cultural and economic challenges facing the region. It seeks to highlight the critical need for increased community involvement in the management of their affairs,” he said. Speaking during the event, the representative of Katsina State Governor and Commissioner for Information, Bala Zango said the administration of Governor Dikko Radda since coming on board initiated laudable programmes aimed at tackling the socio-economic development of the citizens. “Governor Dikko Umar Radda, as part of efforts to bridge the gap, had initiated scholarships for indigent students in foreign lands to study medicine and AI among others. “Katsina State has become a role model in tackling insecurity by creating a ministry for internal security, establishing and engaging over 1500 Community Watch Corps which solved the issue of insecurity to 70 per cent. “Katsina also spent over N30 billion naira on agriculture. Radda administration employed 7,000 teachers, renovation of schools with learning materials,” he said.

Some suspected gunmen, Saturday afternoon, killed a councilorship candidate, Adeyinka Adeleke, in the Jide Jones area of Abeokuta South Local Government Area of Ogun State. The victim was said to be the All Progressives Congress Councillorship candidate for Abeokuta South Local Government Ward 15 in the forthcoming November 16 Local Government elections. PUNCH Online gathered that the assailants stormed the area in a tinted car while shooting sporadically. Our correspondent learnt from a source privy to the incident that the gunmen attacked Adeleke, shot at him and left him in the pool of his blood. A video of the incident which surfaced online showed the lifeless body of Adeleke while sympathisers’ voices were heard in the background wailing. An anonymous source told our correspondent that the incident created palpable tension in the area as residents scampered for safety. The source said, “Some gunmen killed the All Progressives Congress councilorship candidate for Ibara Ward 15, Adeyinka Adeleke, today. “The gunmen came in a tinted car, shot him, and hit him with stones till he died. There was tension in the area as people were scampering for safety.” Another source, who sought anonymity, narrated that the assailants arrived in a tinted car from which one of them stepped out, shot Adeyinka at close range and later smashed his head ensuring that the victim was dead. The deceased was said to have been a transport union worker in the Panseke area of Abeokuta during his lifetime. “The Killing happened around 2 pm, it took everybody by surprise… No one knows if it is a cultist attack or not. The people in the area are already locking their shops, everywhere is tensed up now, it is so sad,” the source said. A senior police officer in the area confirmed the incident to our correspondent while stating that the family took the corpse away. The police source said, “Yes, the incident happened. His family decided to take his body for burial.” Meanwhile, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, was yet to respond to messages sent to her line as of the time of filing this report.

At least two residents of Ikpelle community in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State were killed while many houses were set houses ablaze during an attack by gunmen. Locals told our correspondent that the separate incidents happened between Thursday and Friday in Ikpelle and Egwuma communities situated in the rural riverine of Agatu. The locals said members of the communities who got displaced as a result of the attack are predominantly farmers and fishermen. Joseph Adakole, an indigene, expressed worry that unless something urgent was done by security operatives, their entire villages would become history. The Chairman of Agatu, Melvin Ejeh, expressed sadness over the attack during a conversation with journalists in Makurdi, saying, “I have just been sadly informed of an attack on Egwuma community of Ogwule Ogbaulu Ward which led to the burning of some houses and looting of livestock and properties worth millions of naira by suspected cattle rustlers. “I sympathise with the people of Egwuma and environs and call for calm as we are working non-stop to bring a lasting solution to this age long crisis. We have called for the immediate deployment of security officials to the area to restore peace, but we are working on a long-term solution that will come to fruition soonest. “My administration would prioritise and ensure the rebuilding of communities and the safe return of every Agatu citizen back home. Agatu is our home, and no one would live as a displaced citizen in their ancestral home.” The Police had not responded to the incident at the time of filing this report.