The Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Education, on Tuesday, announced the suspension of evaluation and accreditation of degree certificates from the Republic of Benin and Togo.

The ministry noted that its decision followed the undercover investigation conducted by a Nigerian newspaper which exposed the activity of a degree mill in Cotonou, a major city of Benin Republic.

According to the investigation, the investigative reporter bagged a degree from Cotonou University within six weeks and also participated in the mandatory one-year scheme organised by the National Youth Service Corps.

Following the analysis of data from the website of the National Universities Commission, Below are list of foreign universities banned by the NUC.

The commission also warned Nigerians to avoid enrolling in such institutions.

1. University of Applied Sciences and Management, Port Novo, Republic of Benin or any of its other campuses in Nigeria.

2. Volta University College, Ho, Volta Region, Ghana or any of its other campuses in Nigeria.

3. The International University, Missouri, USA, Kano and Lagos Study Centres, or any of its campuses in Nigeria.

4. Collumbus University, UK operating anywhere in Nigeria.

5. Tiu International University, UK operating anywhere in Nigeria.

6. Pebbles University, UK operating anywhere in Nigeria.

7. London External Studies UK operating anywhere in Nigeria.

8. Pilgrims University operating anywhere in Nigeria.

9. West African Christian University operating anywhere in Nigeria.

10. EC-Council University, USA, Ikeja Lagos Study Centre.

11. Concept College/Universities (London) Ilorin or any of its campuses in Nigeria.

12. Houdegbe North American University campuses in Nigeria.

13. Irish University Business School London, operating anywhere in Nigeria.

14. University of Education, Winneba Ghana, operating anywhere in Nigeria.

15. Cape Coast University, Ghana, operating anywhere in Nigeria.

16. African University Cooperative Development, Cotonou, Benin Republic, operating anywhere in Nigeria.

17. Pacific Western University, Denver, Colorado, Owerri Study Centre.

18. Evangel University of America and Chudick Management Academic, Lagos.

Creates New TSA, Blocks Access To Former Account

The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Finance, on Tuesday, directed all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to remit 100 percent of their internally generated revenue (IGR) to the Sub-Recurrent Account which is a sub-component of the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF).

This is to improve revenue generation, fiscal discipline, accountability and transparency in the management of government financial resources and prevent waste and inefficiencies.

Wale Edun, minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, issued the directive in a circular he signed, dated December 28, 2023.

Consequently, the circular stated that the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation shall open new Treasury Single Account (TSA) sub-accounts for all federal agencies/parastatals listed on the schedule of Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007 and any additions by the Federal Ministry of Finance, except where expressly exempted.

“All Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAS) that are fully funded through the annual Federal Government budget (receiving personnel, overhead and capital allocation) and on the schedule of Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007 and any addition by the Federal Ministry of Finance should remit one hundred percent of their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to the Sub-Recurrent Account which is a Sub-component of the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF)”, the circular reads.

The circular stated that all partially funded Federal Government agencies/parastatals (receiving capital or overhead allocation from the Federal Government budget) should remit 50 percent of their gross Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), while all statutory revenue like tender fees, contractor’s registration, sales of government assets etc should be remitted one 100 percent to the sub-recurrent account.

According to the circular, all self-funded Federal Government agencies/parastatals (receiving no allocation from the Federal Government budget) should remit 50 percent of their gross Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), including all statutory revenues like tender fees, contractor’s registration, sales of government assets etc to the sub recurrent account.

Furthermore, the circular said the new account opened for agencies/parastatal shall be credited with inflows in the old revenue collecting accounts based on the new policy implementation of 50 percent auto deduction in line with the Finance Act,2020 and Finance Circular, 2021, 50 percent cost to revenue ratio.

The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (0AGF), subject to the categorisation of agencies shall map and automatically effect direct deduction of 50 percent on gross revenue of Self/partially funded agency/parastatals and 100 percent for fully funded agencies/ parastatals as interim remittance of the amount due to the Consolidated Revenue Fund. This is to improve revenue generation, fiscal discipline, accountability and transparency in the management of government financial resources and prevention of waste and inefficiencies.

“The revenue collection TSA Sub-Accounts currently operated and maintained by Agencies/Parastatals for receiving revenue from the public shall be blocked from access. The accounts shall be under the full control of the Honourable Minister of Finance and Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy and the Accountant-General of the Federation.”

“To strengthen the implementation of the Presidential directives as conveyed via SGF Circular Reference: SGF.50/5.3/C.9/24 dated October 16, 2018 on Approved Revenue Performance Management Framework for Government Owned Enterprises (GOEs), the Revenue & Investment Department and the Treasury Single Account Department of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (0AGF) shall supervise, monitor and carry out a monthly review of both the old and new accounts of the Agencies/parastatals to ensure that only funds approved by the Honourable Minister of Finance and Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy (HMFCME) and the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF) are credited to the accounts.”

The circular said FMF and the OAGF will recommend appropriate disciplinary actions and sanctions against defaulting accounting officers of agencies/parastatals found violating the contents of the circular, in line with the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

The Nigerian Navy has said it seized eight sacks of Indian Hemp worth N12.8 million in the Abojedo community, around Sultan Beach, in the Badagry area of Lagos State.

According to the Navy’s Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Badagry, the operation followed a tip-off of suspected smuggling activities taking place in the area.

Speaking on Tuesday, Lt. Adedeji Adeyemi, the Base’s Internal Security Commander representing the commander, Commodore Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu, said the intelligence report indicated that “some persons were sighted offloading products suspected to be Indian hemp at Abojedo community, seaside of the FOB Area of Operations.”

He said, “Consequently, the Base Quick Response Team proceeded to the scene of the crime for investigation and possible arrest.

“The team conducted a cordon-and-search operation in the area and recovered eight sacks of the suspected weeds valued at N12.8 million.

“The suspected smugglers fled the scene on sighting our patrol team. The adjoining communities were also searched but no other products or suspects were found,’’ he said.

“Recall that the Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command, Rear Adm.Mustapha Hussan launched Operation Water Guard’ on Nov. 9, 2023.”

Adeyemi added that the operation is aimed at denying smugglers and other criminal elements the freedom of action within Badagry and to ensure security and economic stability of the region.

The Indian Hemp was subsequently handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), received by Mr Emmanuel Ogbogoh, the Assistant Commander, Narcotics, representing Mr Owen Dinneys, the NDLEA Area Commander, Seme Special Command.

According to the Navy, the handover was in line with the Harmonised Standard Operating Procedures for Arrest, Detention and Prosecution of Persons (2016).

Receiving the exhibits, the NDLEA vowed to probe the seizure while assuring that those involved in illegal drug smuggling into the country would be punished.

He commended the Nigerian Navy for collaborating with the NDLEA in tackling drug trafficking in the country.

Ogbogoh stressed that the handing over of the seized substance showed that the NDLEA could not fight the menace alone.

The Central Bank of Nigeria has released regulatory guidelines for the operation of cryptocurrency transactions by Deposit Money Banks and other financial institutions.

The development follows the removal of the ban imposed two years ago on cryptocurrency transactions in the Nigerian banking system by former CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele

In February 2021 the CBN issued a circular restricting banks and other financial institutions from operating accounts for cryptocurrency service providers due to the money laundering and terrorism financing risks as well as the absence of regulations and consumer protection measures.

But the CBN in the new rule titled, ‘Guideline On Operation of Bank Account For Virtual Assets Service Providers(VASPs)’, said banks and other financial institutions are still prohibited from holding, trading and/or transacting in virtual currencies on
their own account.

The CBN said, “From the commencement of these Regulations, financial institutions shall not open or permit the operation of any account by any person or entity to conduct the business of virtual/digital assets unless that account is designated for that purpose and opened in line with the requirement of these Guidelines.

“An account opened in accordance with these Guidelines shall only be used for transactions on virtual/digital assets and not for any other purpose.

“No cash withdrawal shall be allowed from the account. No third-party cheque shall be cleared from the account.

“Except for settlement of a virtual/digital assets transaction which shall be done through a transfer to another designated account, withdrawal shall be only through a Managers’ Cheque or transfer to an account.”

The guideline further explained that the designated settlement account of SEC’s VASPs/DA entities will be opened by financial institutions with the permission of the CBN.

“All obligations arising from transactions within the VASP5/DAs entities platform shall be settled into the designated settlement accounts maintained by them in the banks.

“The designated settlement accounts shall warehouse all Naira positions of individuals with the VASPs/DAs. The designated settlement account, including any associated linked account for warehousing settlement monies, shall not be interest beadng.

“The details of the transactions on the VASP platform leading to settlement on the designated settlement account shall be accessible online, on real-Ume basis to the FIs at all times. Credit to the designated settlement account shall be for the funding of Naira positions of persons on the VASP/DAs platform.”

The CBN said any form of contravention of the rule will attract penalty not less than N2m.

Human Rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, has called on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to quit partisanship, stating that Atiku, Peter Obi, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Wike’s G5 greed led to the emergence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the last year’s presidential election.

In a new year message he personally signed, Adeyanju said for over three decades, Atiku’s name has appeared prominently in the Nigerian political lexicon, adding that one cannot deny the fact that he has contributed a great deal in shaping the Nigerian democracy but that he needs to quit.

“From the aborted third republic down to the recently conducted 2023 general elections, Alhaji Atiku has played one role or the other in Nigerian politics, with varying results.

“However, it is now time for him to take a bow from politics and serve as a mentor for the younger generation of politicians,” Adeyanju said, stating that keen observers of political issues in Nigeria will attest to the fact that year 2023 was Alhaji Abubakar’s best shot at the Nigerian Presidency.

“He had everything working in his favour. However, a combination of arrogance, inadequate human relationship, inability to manage the opposition, and several other lesser known factors contributed to his defeat in the polls.

“Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was directly responsible for the division in the opposition that saw President Tinubu emerging with the slimmest victory margin in Nigeria’s recent democratic elections. He failed to support Peter or prevail on him to remain in the PDP, he failed to prevail on Kwankwanso to remain in the PDP, he picked unnecessary fight with the G5 PDP governors and invariably lost in woefully in areas that were hitherto traditional PDP bases.

“Had the G5, Alhaji Kwankanso, Peter Obi and Alhaji Atiku worked under one platform in the 2023 presidential election, we would have had a different president today.

“Sadly, that ship has sailed. It is for the aforementioned reasons that Alhaji Abubakar must drop his intention to run in the 2027 presidential elections. He is not the only politician in Nigeria,” Adeyanju said, adding that Atiku must give way for the younger generation of politicians.

“Alhaji Abubakar should leave behind a legacy of uniting the opposition and pushing for a younger politician to be president of Nigeria. He should assume the role of Moses and let history be the judge. The opposition must also find a way to work together and present a united front in 2027 through a younger candidate,” Adeyanju said, hoping that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar will heed to the call and leave his political legacy unblemished.

The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, has extended an apology to his political mentor and former governor of the state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, regarding his past choice of language during their political differences. Shaibu, however, stressed that his aspiration to succeed his principal, Governor Godwin Obaseki, as the next governor of the state stems from a divine conviction to serve the state and restore governance to the people.

Shaibu made these remarks during a live interview on a private broadcast television station in Lagos, which was monitored in Benin City. He said that his decision not to engage in conflicts with his boss, despite their strained relationship, was to avoid using language that might haunt him when he secures the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He said, “I want to be the next governor of Edo State not because l am Philip Shaibu, it is my constitutional right. Before publicly declaring my interest to contest, l had consulted widely with many persons and groups within and outside Edo State. Moreover, l went into prayers to seek guidance and direction from God. The signs l received encouraged me to go ahead with my aspiration, though it was obvious the Governor had his own plans of supporting another person.

“If my party wants to win the election in Edo State, give it to Philip Shaibu but if they want to lose, they should give it to somebody else, not because I am a superstar but because I have the content, I have the quality, I have the experience.”

Addressing his past disagreements with Oshiomhole, Shaibu expressed regret for his choice of language. He affirmed his apology to Oshiomhole and expressed his intention not to repeat such mistakes.

“I regret the language I used in our disagreements. The only aspect I apologise for and continue to apologise for to Comrade Adams Oshiomhole is the language I used. I don’t want to repeat the same mistake,” Shaibu remarked.

While reiterating his allegiance to Governor Obaseki, the Deputy Governor noted his commitment to supporting the Governor and the Government despite ongoing disputes and challenges to his constitutional rights.

“I have over time been deprived of my constitutional rights as Deputy Governor. This has not in any way affected my loyalty to the Governor. I have had to make lots of personal sacrifices to ensure a good relationship and deliver on our promise to Edo people. Sometimes, one has to play the fool for a relationship to survive,” he said.

Mr. President,

The joy expressed by you in your New Year message in welcoming your “compatriots to this brand new year 2024” cannot be understood or shared by several millions of our countrymen and women, particularly the people of Mangu, Bokkos, Barkin-Ladi Local Government Areas of Plateau State, where over 200 innocent villagers were killed by terrorists, with more than 300 persons injured, several properties destroyed and thousands of people have been displaced, between Christmas Eve, Friday 24th and Monday 26th December 2023.

The SMBLF commiserates with the affected families, and people of Plateau State, and commends the United Nations (UN), Amnesty International, the Pope, and the International Community, generally, for their unequivocal condemnation of the killings on the Plateau, while urging that the world be conscious of the grave implications of these happenings on the corporate existence of the Nigerian Federation.

The unrelenting massacre bordering on ethnic cleansing and armed occupation of the territories of the indigenous peoples of the Middle-Belt and most parts of Northern Nigeria by identified ethnic militias have shown without any doubt that the Nigerian state, its government, and security forces have continued to fail in the fundamental duty of the security and welfare of citizens as the primary purpose of government as stated in Section 14(b) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Mr. President, unfortunately, and as it was with the Buhari administration, rather than accept the reality of the danger posed to the corporate existence of the federation by an extra-territorial agenda of the Fulani ethnic nationality, backed by organized and well-armed militias, which was, since 2018, declared by Amnesty International as the "4th most deadly terrorist organization in the world", your administration has also, now, in bad faith, dressed this evil in the false garb of “herders/farmers’ clash”, and the blood-thirsty ethnic militias as mere bandits. It is a conflict where one side, fully armed, continues to attack and kill the innocent, who are being deliberately defanged by agents of the Government.

Mr. President, your predecessor had all the facts and evidence of an ideological Fulanisation agenda but preferred to pander and prevaricate than bring justice to the victims of oppression and genocide.

The cycle of attacks, government inaction, and provable official complicity engendered a situation where no less a personality than General T. Y. Danjuma Rtd, former Chief of Army Staff and former Defence Minister, openly advised victims of terrorism to arm themselves, since the Government appears unwilling to stem the atrocities being committed against the indigenous peoples.

Commodore Kunle Olawunmi, a former member of an elite group of Intelligence officers in our military on national television posited that a list of sponsors of Terror was in the hands of the government, with names of those behind these dastardly acts in the country. In addition to the list, the then Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), admitted to having received a list of Terror Sponsors from the government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Of course, nothing was done!

The audacious and reckless assertions by some prominent personalities of Fulani Extraction like Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, immediate past Governor of Kaduna State, and Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, who ought to be more "civilized", lent credence to the Fulanisation agenda. Nasir El-Rufai reportedly threatened that “whoever kills a Fulani herdsman, including the army, takes a death loan, repayable in 100 years” on an alleged plan by the military to dislodge a Fulani-occupied settlement on other people’s ancestral home in the outskirts of Jos, Plateau State. He warned that “if the Nigerian Army goes and removes the Fulani settlement, any person wearing Nigerian Army uniform in 14 Western African countries is at risk..”

Governor Bala Mohammed, on his part, justified the possession of AK-47 weapons by the Fulani herders as self-defense in “practicing the tradition of trans-human, pastoralism” throughout West Africa with no regard for national boundaries not to mention ancestral lands of other groups, which has no affinity to the Fulani.

The Buhari administration tried all the tricks in its wits to create Fulani settlements in other people’s territories throughout Nigeria by different strategies of "land grabbing" in the guise of RUGA, Grazing Routes, Cattle Colonies or contrived integrated agriculture Schemes, where new estates would be built for pastoralists with better amenities than the host communities whose lands would be acquired by the Federal Government, contrary to the provisions of the Constitution, which make land use regulations an exclusive state affair. The then Presidential spokesman betrayed the mind of the government when he advised the people that "it was better they released lands than lose their lives".

The horror of the Christmas Eve massacre in Plateau State is not different from the situation in Benue where several communities, particularly in Kwande, Gwer-West, Guma, Makurdi, and Logo Local Government Areas are perennially attacked by the pampered armed Fulani ethnic militias who have taken over other people’s lands and homes.

In Kaduna State, and Southern Kaduna particularly, Chikun, Kajuru, Kachia, Zangon Kataf, Kauru, Lere, Birnin Gwari, and Giwa Local Governments are largely under the control of terrorists. The operations of these armies of occupation claimed to be foreigners were allegedly boosted by El-Rufai's admission of payment of huge amounts of money to Fulani militants across West Africa only to end up lamenting that these associates of his invariably made Kaduna State ungovernable.

The situation in Niger State is not different, if not worse, as according to the immediate past Governor of the State, Abubakar Sani-Bello, terrorists (he called them bandits) have taken over 12 local government areas in Niger State as confirmed during his visit in 2022 to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at the Central Primary School, Gwada. The worst hit Local Governments in the state include Rafi, Munyan, Shiroro, Magama, Mashegu, Mariaga, and Wushishi some of which the terrorists not only have their flags hoisted but also collect taxes and levies, in a state bordering the FCT.

In the Zuru district of Kebbi State, terrorists are so much in control that they audaciously opened fire and killed military men deployed to the area following an earlier killing of scores of vigilantes otherwise known as Yan-Sa-Kai by the terrorists.

In Zamfara, Sokoto and Katsina, peasant farmers of the Hausa as well as other non-Fulani nationalities can no longer access their farms as a result of Fulani terrorism. The case of Zamfara is worst having been virtually rendered ungovernable except for the State capital, Gusau.

Former President Buhari deliberately handicapped himself by a deceitful mindset that people of the North-West were of the same tribes and religion and wondered why they were fighting amongst themselves.
The truth however is that the north-west geopolitical zone is most diverse in ethnic content and the war therein is orchestrated by the desire for new territorial spaces for the Fulani both within and outside Nigeria against the other ethnic nationalities especially the Hausa majority which has for ages been falsely touted as being indistinguishable from the Fulani.

SMBLF holds as indisputably self-evident that all ethnic nationalities were and have settled in their portions of Nigeria before the amalgamation and establishment of Nigeria in 1914, and thus, the current rabid territorial ambition and quest for the alteration of the demographic structures of the federation will lead to chaos and internecine wars, the end of which may be the dismemberment of the fragile Nigerian Federation.

In light of the foregoing, the SMBLF, moved by the patriotic desire for the corporate continuity of Nigeria and, the peaceful and mutually respectful coexistence of its diverse nationalities strongly urges that you, Mr. President consider the following:

1. Your government holds an honest and truthful security inquiry to determine communities wherein the original inhabitants have been displaced in the last 2 decades and enforce the immediate return and resettlement of the people in their ancestral homes.

2. Further to the above, the government should, in no distant future, close all IDP camps to end the shameful and sinful policy of building such refugee camps for the indigenous peoples while their ancestral homes are allowed to be occupied by the armed invaders.

3. That the Security agencies, including the police, the Civil Defence Corps, and others be specially trained and equipped to rise to the challenges as Nigeria is fast becoming a banana or pariah state of its kid-gloves treatment of terrorism.

4. That the Nigerian state which fought a tribal civil war to secure its corporate existence should not allow another internecine war of diverse tribes brought about by its permissive handling of provocative activities of local Fulani militias aided by collaborators from the West African sub-region and the Sahel.

5. The desire of the Fulani to be treated as an exclusive “race” cannot be allowed to continue in a free and egalitarian Nation. They should seek land for their trade in the same way other Nigerians buy and manage land and stop this sense of entitlement.

Urgent steps be taken to restructure Nigeria in line with the tenets of true federalism, to legitimize multi-level policing such that states and communities will provide commensurate security for their people.

6. That you, Mr President, should rise to the occasion and dare the powers that be; decisively deal with the perpetrators of the senseless killings, end the massacre, and guarantee the safety of lives and property of citizens in all parts of our country, especially the Middle Belt Region, and restore the dignity of citizens and national pride; for which you will ever be remembered!

Mr. President, kindly accept the assurances of our highest regards.

Signed:

Chief (Dr.) E. K. Clark, OFR, CON, Leader.
Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Leader Afenifere.
Chief Dr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, MFR, OFN, CFR – President-General, Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide
Dr. Pogu Bitrus, President, Middle Belt Forum
Senator Emmanuel Ibok-Essien, FNSE, National Chairman, PANDEF

The Defence Headquarters has characterised the deadly Christmas Eve attacks in Plateau State, which resulted in nearly 200 deaths, as a calculated attempt to embarrass and undermine the Federal Government.

The incident occurred during the seventh month of President Bola Tinubu’s tenure.

In an interview with Channels TV, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, labelled the attacks in Bokkos and Barkin Ladi as “unfortunate” and without justification.

He suggested the attacks were intended to “embarrass everybody and make the government look stupid.”

Musa said, “The shocking incident that occurred in Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, was quite unfortunate. There was no reason for the attack.

“I think the purpose is to embarrass everybody and to make the government look stupid.”

General Musa disclosed that the Nigerian military is making arrests related to the Plateau Christmas Eve killings and also addressed the military’s delayed response to the distress calls from the attacked villages.

Naija News had earlier reported that over 195 deaths were recorded in the attack.

President Tinubu condemned the violence and ordered relief for survivors, while Vice President Kashim Shettima visited the state to offer condolences.

In his New Year message, President Tinubu, however, did not mention the Plateau attack, asserting improved security since his May inauguration.

However, Amnesty International criticised Tinubu for failing to protect communities in Plateau State and across Nigeria.

The National Hajj Commission has extended the deadline for payment of 2024 hajj.

In a statement on Tuesday, its Assistant Director on Public Affairs, Fatima Sanda Usara said the new deadline is now January 31, 2024 as against December 31, 2023.

Daily Trust had reported that the commission was in dilemma over low turnout and might have to extend the deadline.

NAHCON, however, insisted that it would go ahead with the number of intending pilgrims who made the payment before the December 31 deadline.

But the commission has finally backtracked, admitting that the extension was inevitable.

“The extension was in response to the heartfelt concerns raised by religious clerics, State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards/Agencies/Commissions, State Governors and other stakeholders,” she said.

Usara stated that the federal government’s approval for an extension of the deadline provided an additional opportunity for individuals to participate in this sacred pilgrimage.

“The overwhelming request for extension from various religious communities underscores the significance of ensuring accessibility to a broader spectrum of the faithfuls eager to embark on the spiritual journey of Hajj.

“Consequently, NAHCON is confident that before expiration of the new deadline, with the support of its sister agencies, the commission would have determined the total cost of 2024 Hajj,” she said.

Usara noted that the extension would provide a window for new registrants to do so and by the end of January, those who need to balance up payment would be able to do so as well.

“NAHCON seizes this chance to remind intending pilgrims and other stakeholders that the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has slated 25th February as end date for signing all contracts, signaling the end of payments into IBAN accounts. With this extension, NAHCON has barely a month to finalize payment of all Hajj deposits into its IBAN account for the 2024 Hajj.

“This extension, even though overstretches NAHCON’s preparatory timeline, reflects the Commission’s Chairman, Malam Jalal Ahmad Arabi’s commitment to accommodating the concerns of stakeholders. He expressed gratitude to religious leaders, state boards, and governors for their advocacy on behalf of the pilgrims. Malam Arabi described this collaborative effort as a testament to the shared commitment to facilitating a meaningful and inclusive Hajj experience for all. He prayed all Hajj handlers would utilize this opportunity well for success of 2024 Hajj operations,” she added.

Sometime in September, 2019 some officers of the Nigerian Custom Service in their characteristic manner invaded and sealed several car shops all over the country citing the reason that those cars were either smuggled or under- assessed during clearance at the ports.

The Registered Trustees of Auto Dealers in Lagos felt that they have had enough of Custom's harassment, illegality, extortion, and therefore briefed the law firm of Dr Monday Ubani to seek legal redress on their behalf.

In a letter to the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, the group through the law firm of Ubani & Co, condemned the September 30, 2019 raid and sealing of their shops by Custom operatives, describing the action as " demonstration of gross irresponsibility, unprecedented impunity and abuse of power"

The Dealers claimed that all the cars in their business premises were duly cleared and with appropriate duties paid. The law firm also forwarded copies of the letter to the Senate President, Speaker, House of Representatives and the Attorney General of the Federation.

Part of the letter which also served as a pre-action notice read:
"We must state here with all sense of responsibility and patriotism that the action of Nigeria Custom officers in this regard is a demonstration of gross irresponsibility, unprecedented impunity and abuse of power.

"Though the Nigeria Customs and Excise Management Act gives you the power to examine, mark, seal and take account of any goods contravening your regulations. In this case, you did not examine, mark, seal, and take account of the particular vehicles identified as not being properly cleared, but rather sealed up the entire premises without any form of examination or inspection of papers. "This very act of yours, has no protection under the Act, but smacks of impunity, illegality and flagrant abuse of executive power.

"The moment when Nigerian Government agencies elevate the pursuit of revenue above the right and welfare of the citizens, Nigeria is doomed. Take notice therefore that you have 14 days from the day you receive this letter to unseal all our client's members' business premises to enable them carry out their lawful businesses as Nigerian citizens.

"Take further notice that you have a period of 30days from the date you receive this letter to pay a compensation of 10 billion to our clients for the severe hardship, suffering, embarrassment, loss of business, physical, mental and psychological torture and trauma your arbitrary, lawless and inconsiderate action has caused our clients and their families, failing which our client shall be left with no other option than to seek redress through a competent court of law".

When the warnings and requests were flagrantly ignored, the law firm instituted an action at the Federal High Court, Lagos against NIGERIAN CUSTOMS SERVICE BOARD, CHAIRMAN NIGERIAN CUSTOMS SERVICE BOARD, and the COMPTROLLER GENERAL NIGERIAN CUSTOMS (as Defendants) in SUIT NO: FHC/L/CS/665/2021, asking the Court to determine the following Questions:

Whether the Defendants have any power, authority or justification to invade and seal off the Plaintiff’s members respective business premises, on the ground that the Plaintiff’s members vehicles were smuggled, which allegation they later abandoned for another allegation - that the vehicles were not properly assessed and cleared by the designated Defendants’ officers at the Port, and demanding the Plaintiff’s members to come to the Defendants office with their vehicle Custom clearance documents, which documents were issued to the Plaintiff’s members by officials of the Defendants after duly inspecting, assessing and clearing their vehicles at the port?

Whether the Defendants, after their officials had inspected, assessed and cleared the Plaintiff’s members vehicles at the Port, have any right, justification, power or semblance of power to intercept the same vehicles on the road (in transit), or at the car shop and detain same for a re-assessment known as Debit Note (DN) on the ground that they were not properly assessed and cleared by their officers, and thereby demanding payment of additional duty from the Plaintiff members.

The Plaintiff then sought the following reliefs against the Defendants:

A DECLARATION that having duly inspected, cleared and issued the required Customs clearance papers to members of the plaintiff at the Port, and the plaintiff members having paid the fee (Custom Duty) as duly assessed and demanded by officers of the Defendants, the Defendants have no power, authority or justification to thereafter invade and seal off the same Plaintiff members business premises, on the ground that the Plaintiff members vehicle were (smuggled or) not properly assessed and cleared by the designated officers of the Defendant.

A DECLARATION that the Defendants’ directive to the Plaintiff members to come to the Defendants office with their vehicle Customs clearance documents for re-assessment and re-clearance, and directing their officers to raise a Debit Note (DN) to that effect is unwarranted, unjustified and unlawful.

A DECLARATION that the Defendants, after their officials had inspected and cleared the Plaintiff members’ vehicles at the Port, have no right, justification, power or semblance of power to intercept the same vehicles on the road (in transit) and detain them on the ground that they were not properly cleared, and thereby demanding payment of additional money from the Plaintiffs or their Customers.

 A DECLARATION that the invasion and sealing off of the Plaintiff members’ respective business premises since the 30th day of September, 2019 on the ground that the Plaintiff members vehicles were not properly cleared, and demanding the Plaintiff members to come to the Defendants’ office with their Vehicle Customs clearance documents for inspection and re-assessment (which documents were issued to the Plaintiff’s members by the officials of the Defendants after duly inspecting and clearing the said vehicles at the port) is unlawful and unjustified.

A DECLARATION that the practice of intercepting the Plaintiffs members vehicles by officials of the Defendants on the road (in transit) and detained on the ground that they were not properly assessed and cleared, and thereby demanding payment of additional money from the Plaintiff’s members or directing them to raise Debit Note (DN) to that effect is unwarranted, unjustified, and unlawful.

AN ORDER of mandatory injunction directing the Defendants to, with immediate effect, unseal the business premises of all members of the Plaintiff which was unlawfully and arbitrarily sealed off by officials of the Defendants since 30th day of September, 2019.

AN ORDER of Perpetual Injunction restraining the Defendants from further invading and sealing the business premises of the members of the Plaintiff on the ground that the vehicles in their Car Shops which had earlier been inspected, assessed and cleared at the Port by officers of the Defendant were not properly inspected, assessed and cleared.

AN ORDER Directing the Defendants to pay to the Plaintiff the sum of N5,000,000,000.00 (Five Billion Naira) as general and aggravated damages for the arbitrary and unlawful invasion and sealing off of the Plaintiff’s members business premises since the 30th day of September, 2019, and for the huge economic loss and depreciation in business fortunes of members of the plaintiff on account of the unlawful sealing off of their business premises since 30th day of September, 2019.

Interest on the judgment sum at the prevailing monetary policy rate (Central Bank of Nigeria Rate) from the date of judgment until judgment sum is fully liquidated.

The Cost of action as assessed by the Court.

The Defendants in their defence first alleged that the Plaintiff’s Vehicles were smuggled, and the Plaintiff denied it and stated that there were no smuggled vehicles found in the car shops of any of its members visited and sealed by the Defendants’ officers. Moreover, following the Defendants’ request, the Plaintiff’s members submitted their import and clearing documents for their vehicles, and after two weeks of check in the Defendants’ system, the Plaintiffs were informed by the Defendants’ officers that the issue was no longer smuggling, but false declaration and underpayment.

The Plaintiff further informed the Court that there couldn’t have been underpayment/undervalue when the Plaintiff’s members’ vehicles were duly and physically inspected by the Senior Customs Officers (some of them at the level of Deputy Comptroller) who signed and authorized the release order, and that no Importer/Dealer sees the imported vehicles until the clearing process has been concluded by the Customs, and by which time all the necessary charges have been taken care of by the Importer/Dealer. Besides, all payments made by its members were in accordance with the Defendants’ valuation and directive which precedes the signing of the release order. The Plaintiff informed the Court that what its members pay was what they were asked to pay which is programmed in the Defendants’ system. The amount given to the Plaintiff members to pay is what the Defendants’ system accepts, which is called Automated Assessment. The Plaintiff further informed the Court that the Defendants’ officers are in the habit of stopping, checking, harassing and extorting money from its members’ customers after they drive out into town with their purchased vehicles, and this negatively affects their business, and that when its members’ customers call them to inform them of the harassment by the Defendants’ officers on the road, they usually intervene and inform the harassing officers that the necessary Duties on such vehicles have been paid, but the harassing Defendants’ officers would usually respond with the slogan “Senior Officer Release, Junior Officer seize”.

The Defendant admitted sealing 434 Car marts/Shops of the Plaintiff’s members in Lagos on suspicion of non-compliance with Customs Procedure, and informed the Court that some of the Plainiff’s members have complied with their directive by making undertaking to make the additional payment, and the car mart of those members have been unsealed, but the Plaintiff said those members were coerced/induced by the Defendant into executing undertakings for additional Duty payment under duress in the office of the Defendants.

The Defendant having seen how weak its case was, at a point abandoned the susbstance and began to chase shadow by challenging the jurisdiction of the Court on the ground that the Plaintiff is not a registered entity, and has no power to institute the suit, and also that there was no cause of action against the Defendants. The Plaintiff in a bid to rebut the assertion tendered its Certificate of incorporation to show it was a legal entity. Having seen that the plaintiff is a legal entity, the defendant like a drowning man seeking to catch a straw to survive, argued that the Plaintiff instituted the suit as Registered Trustees of Auto-Mobile Dealers Friends Association which is not recognized in law, as what the law recognizes is Incorporated Trustees of a body and not Registered Trustees of a body.

Hon. Justice A. O. Awogboro in her judgment delivered on the 27th day of December, 2023, first dealt with the issue of jurisdiction, and held that the only way of proving that an entity is registered is by providing a copy of the Certificate of Incorporation, which the Plaintiff has provided, and the argument of whether it sued as a Registered Trustees instead of an incorporated trustee is of no consequence.

Going into the substance of the case, the Honourable Judge, held that the sealing up of the car marts of the plaintiff’s members was unlawful and arbitrary, as there was no justification for the unlawful act. She held that the argument that some members of the Plaintiff have complied by undertaking to make the additional payment as a result of which their car marts were unsealed is not tenable and does not in any way support or justify the arbitrary action of the Defendants because those members did not agree to do so willingly but out of coercion and duress, so that they could be able to carry on with their business. The allegation of coercion and duress were not denied by the Defendants.

The Honourable Judge granted the major reliefs sought by the plaintiff and then Ordered as follows:

AN ORDER OF MANDATORY INJUNCTION directing the Defendants to, with immediate effect, unseal the business premises of all members of the Plaintiff which was unlawfully and arbitrarily sealed off by officials of the Defendants since 30th day of September, 2019.

AN ORDER of Perpetual Injunction restraining the Defendants from further invading and sealing the business premises of the members of the Plaintiff on the ground that the vehicles in their Car Shops which had earlier been inspected, assessed and cleared at the Port by officers of the Defendant were not properly inspected, assessed and cleared.

AN ORDER directing the Defendants to pay to the Plaintiff the sum of N500,000,000.00 (Five Hundred Million Naira) as general and aggravated damages for the arbitrary and unlawful invasion and sealing off of the Plaintiff’s members business premises since the 30th day of September, 2019, and for the huge economic loss and depreciation in business fortunes of members of the plaintiff on account of the unlawful sealing off of their business premises since 30th day of September, 2019.
Interest on the judgment sum at the prevailing monetary policy rate (Central Bank of Nigeria Rate) from the date of judgment until judgment sum is fully liquidated.

Dr Ubani and his client were full of appreciation for the erudite judgement delivered by the learned judge and recommend such boldness and uprightness to be exhibited by judges of various courts in the land in order to end impunity in the system.