Nelson Ugwuagbo

In a recent development, the Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt has issued an interim injunction preventing Martin Amaewhule, the pro-Wike Speaker of the State House Assembly, and 24 other lawmakers from functioning in their legislative roles.

The injunction was requested by Victor Jumbo, the pro-Fubara Speaker, and two other Assembly members aligned with Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

Justice Charles Wali, who presided over the case, issued the order on Friday under suit number PHC/1512/CS/2024. The court directed the 25 defendants to refrain from convening or conducting legislative activities at the House of Assembly Quarters or any other location until further notice.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan, have touched down in Nigeria to discuss the potential of hosting the Invictus Games in the country.

Their arrival in the African nation was confirmed by their spokesperson, Charlie Gipson, after they flew in on a British Airways flight to Abuja.

Reports indicate that the royal couple will be in Nigeria for a three-day private visit, following an invitation from the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa.

While in Nigeria, Harry and Meghan are scheduled to attend basketball and volleyball matches, as well as engage with local non-governmental organizations in Abuja and Lagos.

Meghan is also set to co-host an event on ‘Women in Leadership’ alongside Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The military believes that hosting the Invictus Games could aid in the recovery of Nigerian personnel who have been involved in the fight against Boko Haram since 2009.

The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Baduru, who attended the event in Germany last year, is reportedly eager to host the games in Nigeria if given the opportunity.

The Invictus Games, founded by Prince Harry, aims to support the rehabilitation of wounded, injured, and ill servicemen and women through sports competitions similar to the Paralympics.

Nigeria made its debut at the games last year, emerging as the only African representative and winning gold and bronze medals during the event.

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The Federal government has assured that the Lagos-Kano rail freight operations would preserve the lifespan of the nation’s highways as well as save more Nigerians from dying in auto accidents.

Minister of Transportation, Senator Sa’id Alkali, disclosed this on Thursday when he visited the site for an on-the-spot inspection of the project in Kano State.

Meanwhile, the minister gave his assurance that the freight operations will begin in June 2024.

China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), the contractor handling the project announced that the line has been linked up to Zawaciki Dala Dry Port, the commercial city of Kano.

The Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS) has sealed off the premises of Residency Hotel, Area 11, Deogratia School, Games Village, Kaura and four other firms for non-compliance with the tax law.

Other firms sealed are Odyssey Educational Foundation, Gwarimpa, Rural Homes Limited in Utako, Trevari and Phenomenon shops at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.

The Leader of the FCT-IRS Task Force Team and the Director Legal Service, Festus Tsavsar, said the team was out to effect court order for non-compliance with tax laws particularly filing of annual tax returns and tax payment.

He said before the Service approached the court, it had served the defaulted taxpayers Demand Notices but they turned a deaf ear by ignoring the tax authority hence the service went ahead to seek court orders to seal them off.

According to him, FCT-IRS will continue to go after defaulters until they comply with tax laws by discharging their civic responsibilities.

Recall that on May 3rd, 2024, FCT-IRS obtained a court order from 2 Magistrate Courts sitting Abuja directing the tax authority to seal the defaulting firms for non-compliance.

The House of Representatives has passed a resolution to investigate the procurement process in the award of the contract of the  ₦15trn Lagos-Calabar coastal road.

The motion was moved by Honourable Austin Achado on Thursday as a matter of urgent national importance.

The House said the 2007 Procurement Cct was violated and that certain approvals by the National Assembly as required by the law were not given.

In light of the above, the House has asked the minister of works, finance, attorney general, and minister of justice, to avail the National Assembly copies of the documents for award of the contract.

The fresh development by the Reps comes following the demolition of buildings and structures on the right of way of the project.

The Minister of Works Dave Umahi recently said the Lagos-Calabar coastal road construction, will cost N4bn per kilometre.

The 700 km Lagos-Calabar coastal road will be constructed for N15trn, and a kilometre of the road will cost N4 billion. It is designed to connect Lagos to Cross River, passing through Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom states, before culminating in Cross River.

The project has been heavily criticised by many Nigerians including the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, who described it as a misplaced priority by the Federal Government.

The House of Representatives on Thursday directed the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN to halt the implementation of the cybercrime levy in compliance with the provisions of the cybercrime Act.

This followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda, PDP Rivers.

Chinda said section 44 (2a) of the Cybercrime Act listed those to pay the stipulated fees as GSM and telecom companies, Internet providers, Banks and other financial institutions, insurance companies and stock exchange.

The lawmaker explained that the circular from the CBN has raised apprehension across Nigeria, stressing that it has given the impression that the levy is to be paid by Nigerians in an era when they are still battling with an increase in the price of petroleum products, among others.

The House subsequently asked the apex bank to withdraw its earlier circular on implementing the levy immediately and issue another circular in line with the provisions of the Act.

Governor Siminalayi Fubara has barred all heads and officials of the 23 local government areas in the state from appearing before the Rivers Assembly, especially the Pro-Wike lawmakers.

The governor warned that any chairman who appeared before lawmakers loyal to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, led by Martin Amaewhule as speaker would be sacked.

Fubara had earlier declared that in the eyes of the Law, the State does not have state lawmakers as 27 Lawmakers had defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC, thereby losing their mandate as enshrined in the constitution.

Fubara’s directive is contained in an online circular signed by Ebirieneuket Nteile C, Director of Information and Communications for Chairman Local Government Service Commission, dated Tuesday, May 7, 2024.

The circular reads: “I am directed to inform you/ all officers of the 23 Local Government Councils in Rivers State, not to honour/appear before the Members of Assembly or any purported invitation by anybody or group of persons in any guise without the permission of the Acting Chairman- Local Government Service Commission.

“Any staff who disobeys or violates this instruction will be dismissed accordingly from service. Treat as very important, please,” the circular read

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will on Thursday, May 9, arraign the former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, his daughter, Fatimah, and two other suspects in court.

The suspects are facing charges over alleged N2.7 billion contract fraud uncovered in the Aviation Ministry under Sirika.

Sirika is billed to appear in court with his three co-defendants, his daughter, Fatima; one Jalal Hamma, and Al-Duraq Investment Ltd, on charges of abusing their positions to launder over N2.7 billion.

The embattled former minister would be arraigned for trial for the first time, before Justice Sylvanus Oriji of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday.

Details shortly…

The Department of Development Control, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council of the Federal Capital Terrritory Administration, FCTA, has demolished shanties illegally built on a road corridor in Wuse Zone 3.

The Coordinator of the Council, Mr Felix Obuah, told journalists after the exercise in Abuja on Wednesday that the move was part of efforts to clear all shanties in the city.

The shanties, referred to by the occupants as Unguwan Yan Lambu, were built over 27 years ago.

The shanties have been demolished several times but were rebuilt by the occupants.

Obuah said that the location was preserved for a road corridor, adding that the illegal occupation has became a security threat, apart from defacing the beauty of the city.

“Also disturbing is that criminals and miscreants have made this location a safe haven.

“So, we decided to come and clear all the shanties and remove the criminals that have taken over the road corridor to give Abuja its desired beauty.

“We can’t allow this again. Our aim is to beautify the city and make Abuja a city we will all be proud of,” he said.

He added that a taskforce would be set up to make sure that none of the illegal occupants rebuild any shanty in the area again.

Cryptocurrency platform, Binance, has accused some top government officials of demanding $150m in crypto to settle the criminal charge against the firm.

Recently, the Nigerian government cracked down on the cryptocurrency platform in a bid to strengthen the naira. Among other charges filed by the current administration against Binance were tax evasion, currency speculation, and money laundering to the tune of $35,400,000.

Binance Chief Executive Officer, Richard Teng, made the bribery allegation in a blog post published by the New York Times on Tuesday.

According to the NYT report, Tigran Gambaryan, a compliance officer with the exchange, claimed to have received an unsettling message on a trip to Nigeria in January.

“On a trip to Nigeria in January, Tigran Gambaryan, a compliance officer for the giant cryptocurrency exchange Binance, received an unsettling message: The company had 48 hours to make a payment of roughly $150 million in crypto,” the report said.

Gambaryan, a former United States law enforcement agent, said he understood the message as a request for a bribe from someone in President Bola Tinubu’s government.

“Mr. Gambaryan, a former U.S. law enforcement agent, understood the message as a request for a bribe from someone in the Nigerian government, according to five people familiar with the matter and messages reviewed by The New York Times. He and a group of his Binance colleagues had just met with Nigerian legislators, who accused the company of tax violations and threatened to arrest its employees.”

It was gathered that the incident allegedly took place before Gambaryan and a colleague, Nadeem Anjarwalla, were arrested and detained on the orders of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. Anjarwalla subsequently escaped and has been traced to Kenya.

Since April 8, Gambaryan has been transferred from a safe house to the Kuje Correctional Centre Abuja. Both Binance and Gambaryan are prosecuted by the Federal Government for tax evasion and money laundering.

In his response, the spokesman for the Office of the National Security Adviser, Zakari Mijinyawa, assured that the Federal Government will follow due process.

Mijinyawa, according to a text sent to New York Times said the government would make its case “on the strength of the facts and evidence, in accordance with due process.”

“We are confident that Nigeria has a good case. Binance equally will have every opportunity under the rule of law to make its case and see justice delivered,” Mijinyawa said.