₦airaland Forum

Miyetti Allah Members Storm Federal High Court In Abuja, Demand President’s Release


Bodejo has been held in the custody of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) since he was arrested on January 23 at the Miyetti Allah’s office in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State over the unveiling of a vigilante group.

Some members of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore stormed the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday to demand the unconditional release of their president, Bello Bodejo.

Bodejo has been held in the custody of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) since he was arrested on January 23 at the Miyetti Allah’s office in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State over the unveiling of a vigilante group.

The Attorney General of the Federation and minister of justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), on February 5, filed a motion ex-parte seeking to remand Bodejo pending the conclusion of the investigation and arraignment in court.

But Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court granted an order for Bodejo to be remanded for 15 days.

At the expiration of the 15 days, the court gave the Federal Government seven days to file a charge against Bodejo.

At the proceedings on February 22, the judge gave the FG seven days to file a charge against Bodejo.

Bodejo’s lawyer subsequently filed a motion for his unconditional release.

The motion is slated for hearing today.

Helicopter-Booking Company, Vetifly’s CEO Okoh, COO Odumodu Declared Wanted By Nigeria’s Anti-Corruption Agency, EFCC

The anti-graft agency in a public notice on Wednesday, displaying the photographs of the wanted persons, said, “The public is hereby notified that the persons whose photographs appear above are wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in an alleged case of Conspiracy, Stealing and Obtaining Money by False Pretense linked to their company - Vetifly Global Inc.


The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared wanted the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Emmanuel Wisdom Okoh and Chief Operating Officer and board member, Angel Odumodu of Vetifly Global Inc.

The anti-graft agency in a public notice on Wednesday, displaying the photographs of the wanted persons, said, “The public is hereby notified that the persons whose photographs appear above are wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in an alleged case of Conspiracy, Stealing and Obtaining Money by False Pretense linked to their company - Vetifly Global Inc.

“Odumodu is 36 years old, and his last known address is: Plot 6, ELM Street, Osbourne Forshore Estate, Phase 2, Ikoyi, Lagos State.

“Okoh, 37, was last seen at Plot 6, ELM Street, Osbourne Forshore Estate, Phase 2, Ikoyi, Lagos State.”

Vetifly says on its website that it offers helicopter ride services that include intercity shuttle, intracity shuttle, sightseeing experience, and helicopter charter. It also claims to offer private jet charter and luxury pickups.

“We also offer direct flights to bespoke locations of your choice,” it claims.

Tallesty1:
I see two mad men

fuckJones:
The Rev father is doing well.....

He is better than otti of abia state

100 Miles better than obi

The Benue State government says it is set to establish its own power plant in order to boost socio-economic development in the state. The idea…

The Benue State government says it is set to establish its own power plant in order to boost socio-economic development in the state.

The idea was conceived by the Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC) following the Federal Government’s recent assent to a bill granting state governments access to own and manage their electricity companies.

The Managing Director of BIPC, Raymond Asemakaha, who made this known at a meeting with a delegation of Remedy Earth at BIPC corporate headquarters in Makurdi, requested the electricity company to set up a pilot plant in the state.

Asemakaha stressed the need for the state to own a power generation plant that would transform the state and stimulate economic activities.

“For us we know that one of the things that stimulate the economy is when you have enough power. So we are looking for options to ensure that the state generates its power and share to its communities.

“We want them to do the plant here and test run it so we can know what they are capable of before we will engage them. Gone are the days that people tell stories, we want to see it before we can recommend them to the governor,” he said.

Earlier, the Remedy Earth delegation led by its regional head Africa, Peace Obichere, assured that the company was ready to execute the pilot plant for BIPC within nine months.

Obichere added that the company had the manpower and technical know-how required to execute the project and would pull the resources to have the plant come to fruition.

williams85:
She is always 35..

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Enugu State Zonal Command, has arraigned Ogbu Ibekwem, Nwagbara Chidimma, Uwaezuoke Raymond, and Chidubem Mgbeke before Justice Mohammed Garba of the Federal High Court sitting in Enugu State.

This was disclosed in a post via the commission’s X handle on Tuesday.

According to the post, on February 22, 2023, Access Bank plc turned over Ibekwem, Chidimma, and Raymond, three former employees of the Nottidge branch of the bank in Onitsha, Anambra State, to the agency for embezzling N15,944,100.00.

It added that they were arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy and stealing.

One of the counts reads, “That you, Ogbu Kingsley Ibekwe and Chidubem Angela Mgbeke, sometimes in January 2023 in Onitsha, Anambra State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired among yourselves to commit felony to wit, retaining the sum of N7,996,800.00 meant for evacuation to the Central Bank of Nigeria and property of Access Bank Plc Nottidge Branch, Onitsha, which you knew or ought to have known to be proceeds of an unlawful act and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 21(a) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 and punishable under Section 20(b)”.

Upon hearing the charges, they pleaded not guilty.

The EFCC’s attorney, Ahmad Abdullahi, asked the court to set a trial date and remand the defendants to the Enugu State Correctional Facility in light of their pleas.

The accused were placed under EFCC custody on remand until the bail application hearing.

seunmsg:
We thank Olodumare for bringing him out alive. Welcome back hero. We shall never forget your sacrifice for the emancipation of Yoruba race. The reawakening you started is gradually spreading like wildfire all over Yoruba land.

Protesters Block Lekki-Epe Expressway As Lagos State Government Embarks On Mass Demolition Of Estate In Defiance Of court.


While tens of houses in Hopeville Estate had been demolished, residents of Jakande Estate have blocked access road even as security agencies including anti-riot police aiding the demolitions have been deployed to break the blockage.

As the Lagos State government continues the demolition of what it described "illegal structure or structures with permit" residents of Jakande Estate have blocked the Lekki-Epe Expressway to protest against the demolition of their properties.

The residents and homeowners in Hopeville Estate, located in the Sangotedo area of Eti-Osa Local Government Area, Lagos, have been fixed in a corner as their homes are being demolished by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led administration.

While tens of houses in Hopeville Estate had been demolished, residents of Jakande Estate have blocked access road even as security agencies including anti-riot police aiding the demolitions have been deployed to break the blockage.

Nigeria stories in tweet posted on its X handle, explained that the Task Force and anti- riot police have arrived the scene with tear gas to disperse the angry residents.

The tweet reads: "Reports reaching us states that Jakande Estate residents in Lagos have blocked Lekki Epe Express way.

"Task Force and anti- riot police have arrived the scene with tear gas."

Meanwhile, residents of Hopeville Estate, in the Sangotedo are still in confusion and state of despair following the Friday's demolition which had left them homeless.

Accompanied by security personnel, a task force from the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LABSCA), reportedly descended upon the estate with two bulldozers and other heavy machinery, for a demolition exercise that has left numerous buildings in the estate in ruins. This is despite the matter also being in court.

LABSCA had maintained that prior notice of the demolition was served on the residents, citing non-approval of building plans as justification.

However, residents claim the notice was insufficient, especially with a pending court case which has been served on the government. As a result, they say they are unprepared for the sudden destruction of their homes.

A visit to the estate reveals a scene of devastation, with many buildings reduced to rubble and debris scattered across the streets. Some homeowners, faced with the loss of their properties, have resorted to selling salvaged scraps and materials to scavengers. Furniture and household appliances now line the sidewalks, a testament to the abrupt displacement experienced by the residents.

Adding to the distress, armed policemen have been deployed throughout the estate, further intensifying the atmosphere of tension and unease among the affected community members.

Videos capturing residents’ grievances regarding what they call hasty and illegal demolition have circulated widely on social media platforms, drawing attention to the plight of those impacted by the actions of the state agency and law enforcement officials.

As Hopeville Estate grapples with the ongoing demolition, residents are left with uncertainty and the daunting task of rebuilding their lives.

One of those affected by the demolition told Channels TV that the residents of the estate are still confused over the development.

According to the resident who claimed anonymity, the estate had issues with some persons in the past and was in the process of resolving the challenges before the recent demolition.

“So we were in that process before suddenly on Friday we saw trucks of policemen and our armed policemen and bulldozers moving to the area without any notification to anybody and began to break people’s houses and homes everywhere,” he said.

“Many people who were living in their houses were suddenly thrown out of their houses and they had to sleep right on the streets through the night between Friday and Saturday; as the rain fell, most of the people were outside when the rain was falling in the middle of the night. The demolition has continued up till this time and it’s still we are at this point. We still don’t understand who is behind this and what is going on.

“They are claiming that it is from LABSCA. Nothing has been explained to us on why LABSCA is going through this.

“Because we know even if you say people constructed without a permit, that there are processes of integrity tests that can be conducted to confirm whether the buildings are sound or not.

“And then there are penalties for people who have constructed, maybe without a permit to pay penalties to the government, and then we let their properties be in these difficult times. How can somebody, you know choose this alternative as a better alternative breaking down you can say building; nine flats? You know, there are so many people with our houses in Nigeria now, and you are trying to throw more people under the same pressure. This is just not acceptable.”

The Resident Pastor of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, LFC, headquartered in Canaan Land, Ogun State, Pastor David Oyedepo Jr., said Nigeria is in a season of distress , stressing that the country needs help to get back on track.

Speaking on the church’s third service-themed ‘Covenant Day of Fruitfulness’, Oyedepo Jr. urged Christians to take cover in covenant stewardship.
He said, “If you raised an empty Ghana-much-go bag in a windy environment, it would fly away, but if you have a heavy substance in it, no matter the hash wind, it would resist it.

“The same applies to an individual without convenant practice in Christ Jesus; such an individual would be affected by the wind of current hardship.”

Meanwhile, the Presiding Bishop of the Church, Dr. David Oyedepo, while urging Christians to reach out to the needy around them to mitigate the economic hardship, disclosed that the church has opened several Kingdom Care outlets to reach out to the needy through its Winners Satellite Fellowship (WSF) across Nigeria and insisted on saying, “If your vehicle broke down on the highway, it is not a thing of shame asking for help.

“It is not a weakness to ask for help when needed.” The bishop said:

The European Union and Economic Community of West African States’ delegation to Nigeria have said that the Value Added Tax system in Nigeria is below the ideal.

The Head of Cooperation of the Delegation of the EU and ECOWAS to Nigeria, Massimo De Luca, said this on Monday at the 4th session of the Steering Committee of the Support Programme for Fiscal Transition in West Africa held in Abuja.

De Luca blamed the low compliance with VAT in Nigeria on corruption and poor implementation.

He noted that while some companies may be willing to pay their taxes, the current taxation system in the country does not allow them to do so.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Zacch Adedeji, said that the agency would make the taxation system in the country customer-centric so that, individuals and businesses could pay taxes easily.

He also noted that the FIRS would introduce a one-stop shop for all taxes in the country.

VAT is a consumption tax paid when goods are purchased and services rendered. It is a multi-stage tax. VAT is borne by the final consumer. All goods and services are taxable except those specifically exempted by the VAT Act.


De Luca said, “You think VAT works in this country? No, it doesn’t. Fraud makes the business environment unstable for long-term investment. The VAT system is not working because here we have a VAT system that does not allow companies to do what the VAT system is supposed to do- You charge VAT on goods and recover VAT from what you buy,”

He added that many companies in Nigeria may not recover their taxes through consumers, especially the Small and Medium Enterprises.

He noted that the cooperation needed between tax authorities and businesses in Nigeria is lacking hence, the poor VAT experienced in the country.

“The reality of many companies in Nigeria is that there is no certainty that the companies are going to recover the VAT from whatever you buy. Especially for SMEs, it is extremely difficult to have proper VAT compliance.

“The tax system requires a lot of Cooperation between the authorities and the companies but unfortunately, that is not the case here.

“VAT in Nigeria is very low. It is five per cent for everything which does not allow for proper generation of revenue,” he added.

A tax expert, Andrew Onyenakwe, said everyone in Nigeria got tax payments wrong.

While he encouraged individuals and companies to comply with paying taxes, he also blamed corruption in the system for the low compliance by taxpayers.

He added that Nigeria has enough laws to drive taxation but is experiencing poor compliance.

“Talking about tax evasion, we all got it wrong. If we take a sample of ten companies and ask how many of them pay taxes, maybe a few. To start with, how many entities are registered to do business in Nigeria, and how many are paying the correct taxes? So there are so many things involved. Talking about the tax administration agencies, how many of them are doing their jobs?

” The problem is not with the laws but with compliance. What we have around is quasi-compliance. What we are looking for is voluntary compliance.

“Some taxpayers are bothered about transparency and accountability and that discourages them from paying taxes”, Andrew said.

Nigeria excluded as UAE announces 5-year multiple-entry tourist visa


Nigeria’s current status with the United Arab Emirates, (UAE) automatically excludes it from accessing the newly introduced five-year multiple-entry tourist visa.

The UAE has announced its five-year multiple-entry tourist visa for all nationals.

Recalled that the UAE said in a notice in 2022 that it will no longer issue visas to citizens from Nigeria and 19 other African nations. It did not provide further details.

Obtaining a 30-day tourist visa was relatively easy until the UAE abruptly stopped issuing visas to Nigerian nationals.

Flights between both countries were stopped in 2022 after Dubai’s Emirates Airline suspended its operations in Nigeria citing trapped revenues.

However, the new five-year tourist visa allows the holder to enter and leave the UAE multiple times, as long as they remain in the country for at least 90 days during each visit.

The maximum permitted duration to stay in the country is 180 days in a year.

The visa scheme was first announced in 2021 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister, Vice-President and Ruler of Dubai, to strengthen the country’s status as a global economic centre.

The visa has been a crucial step to boost tourism and business in the country, specially allowing people to spend more time with their families in the UAE, without the hassles of applying for a visa over and over again.

“The five-year tourist visa response has been good, but right now it has been rolled out softly. We are working with authorities closely to ensure that we roll out on a much bigger scale very soon – because the multi-entry visa will again help us a lot (in terms of attracting tourists), especially with the nearby region,” Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, told Khaleej Times.


“For example, India already [accounts for] over a million visitors to the city in the first 10 months. So if they have a multi-entry visa, for them Dubai is en route to Europe and the US. So, it makes it much easier for them to stop over, and to come for events and concerts becomes very easy. It is something [with which] we are working very closely with the authorities and hopefully, we will be rolling that out on a much bigger scale,” he added.

Applying for the visa can be done online either on the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs (GDRFA) website, Federal Authorities for Citizenship, Customs, Identity, and Ports Security (ICP) portal or the GDRFA-Dubai Smart Application, by attaching the required documents and paying the fees.

The documents needed include a six-month bank statement for proving that the person has a minimum balance of $4,000, or its equivalent in other foreign currencies, proof of UAE health insurance, a coloured passport-sized photo with a white background, and Xerox of the front and last page of the passport.

Additional documents include a copy of the flight ticket, hotel booking or lease agreement and proof of residence such as an invitation letter from family or friends living in UAE.

The chef and some others still at large allegedly committed the offences at the residence of the former governor, Mr Ambode.


A Sabo-Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in Lagos, on Monday, remanded former Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s chef, Victor Abayomi, for allegedly stealing valuables worth millions at his Ikoyi residence.

The Chief Magistrate, Peter Nwaka, ordered the remand of the defendant for 30 days in Ikoyi Correctional Centre.

Mr Nwaka, however, adjourned the case until 8 April for investigation and presentation of facts.

Mr Abayomi whose house address was not provided, is standing trial on a two-court charge of conspiracy and theft.

Earlier, the legal officer, Joshua Babalola, in the employment of the State Security Service (SSS), told the court that Mr Abayomi and some others still at large committed the offences at the residence of the former governor.

Mr Babalola alleged that the defendant carted away valuable items worth millions of naira from his employer’s residence at Ikoyi.

He said the defendant absconded to Old Garage, Molorundo Local Government Area, Osun State, where he was arrested by Ambode’s SSS on March 7.

The offences, Mr Babalola said, contravened sections 287 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.