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Multiple taxation sparks resistance in Taraba Councils

Editorial
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Multiple taxation sparks resistance in Taraba Councils

By Lawrence FRANCIS

TARABA state, located in North-East Nigeria, has recently witnessed a growing tax rebellion that brewed in the markets of Ardo Kola and Gassol communities.

Consequently, residents and business owners in the affected areas protested against multiple taxation perceived as excessive and unjust.

This has also triggered accusations of mismanagement and corruption on the part of government officials.

Many swore that they would not pay tax again, and vowed to resist any attempt to force them.

Amid escalating tensions, the community demanded transparency, accountability and fairness in the tax regime .

This report explores the root of the conflict, its impact on local businesses and, and the government’s role.

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This report republished from Prime TV Africa was made possible with support from the International Budget Partnership (IBP) and the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, ICIR under the Tax Justice, Equity and Transparency project. 

ASUU, ASUP shun planned nationwide protest

Mustapha USMAN
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ASUU, ASUP shun planned nationwide protest

THE Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), have distanced themselves from the planned nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest, commencing tomorrow, August 1.

Both unions told The ICIR in separate interviews that lectures would continue in their respective institutions and would not be involved in the protest.

The ICIR reports that some Nigerians, along with a group led by former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, have been mobilising for nationwide protests scheduled for August 1 to 10.

The posts and tweets on the protest carry different hashtags, ranging from #RevolutionNow, #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria, #TakeItBack, #DaysofRage and #TinubuMustGo.

The organisers are planning to protest for various reasons including poor governance and economic hardships.

Since the emergence of President Bola Tinubu, there has been unprecedented inflation, with the market prices of food snowballing and more citizens pushed into poverty. 

On Monday, July 15, the country’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released the July inflation figures, reporting that headline inflation rose to 34.19 per cent in June from 33.95 per cent in May.

Food inflation, the major driver of the pressure, increased to 40.80 per cent in June from 40.33 per cent in May.

This sustained hardship has led many citizens planning to take to the streets, to demand immediate action from the government to address the crises, which include insecurity in several parts of the nation.

Meanwhile, some state actors, including the presidency, military, SSS, and police, have pressured the protest organisers to suspend the plan.

Speaking on the protest, the chairman of ASUU, Emmanuel Osodeke, a professor, said while the union was aware of the protest, it would not participate in it.

“As a union, nobody has consulted us, so we are not involved in any protest process because we are not consulted or informed. When we get there, we will know. We don’t control the students, students have their union,” Osodeke said.

Similarly, the ASUP chairman, Shammah S. Kpanja, distanced the union from the protest. 

He emphasised that ASUP was not organising or supporting the protest and had no intention of joining it.

“ASUP has nothing to do with the protest. We are not organising any protest and we have not organised a protest. We don’t intend to organise any protests. We don’t even know who is organising the protest. As far as we are concerned, we are not part of that. We have not directed anybody to go on protest, anybody going protest is going on their own,” the chairman said.

Kpanja, however, appealed to Nigerians to shun the protest, as according to him, it would  worsen the already economic hardship Nigerians are going through. 

“Protest is a fundamental human right, but if there is going to be a protest, it is supposed to be organised. We supposed to know who are the organisers of the protest. Some people were supposed to take ownership of the protest. 

“As far as I am concerned, I know that everybody is facing untold hardships, we are suffering the means of end but I believe protest for now, I don’t see it as a way of solving the problem rather than a way of worsening the problem. Some people may hijack this situation to unleash a lot of terror on some people,” he added.

NANS distance from protest

Earlier, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) had pledged to shun the protest.

NANS National President, Lucky Emonefe, in a statement on Wednesday, July 24,  called on all of its members across the country to reject any enticement to join the groups it described as economic saboteurs to inflict more hardships on the citizens.

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He said: “We found it necessary to address the pressing concerns and burning contemporary issues affecting our beloved country and, most importantly, the students community.

“Firstly, NANS acknowledges the significant hardship being experienced by citizens across Nigeria due to the implementation of recent reforms and policies by the government.

“These measures, though aimed at steering our nation towards sustainable development, have undoubtedly brought about economic challenges that have impacted every Nigerian household. We understand the frustrations and difficulties the citizens are facing, and we are deeply empathetic to the plight of all Nigerians.

Veteran singer Onyeka Onwenu dies at 72

Itoro ETUKUDO
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Veteran singer Onyeka Onwenu dies at 72

VETERAN Nigerian singer, Onyeka Onwenu is dead.

She reportedly slumped in Lagos after performing at the birthday party of the owner of Emzor Pharmaceuticals, Stella Okoli, who clocked 80.

The deceased was rushed to Reddington Hospital where she was confirmed dead on Tuesday, July 30.

She was 72 years old.

Born on January 31, 1952, Onwenu hailed from Arondizuogu, in Ideato North, Imo State, but was raised in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

She was a successful singer, songwriter and actress. The late Onwenu started her music career in 1981.

She served as one of the judges for the popular music competition, X Factor Nigeria.

As an actress, Onwenu won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance in the movie “Widow’s Cot”.

Aside from being an entertainer, Onwenu was a journalist and politician.

She was a former member of the NTA Board and also worked at the organisation as a broadcast journalist, hosting various programmes.

She was appointed as the executive director/chief executive officer of the National Centre for Women Development by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2013.

She also served as the Chairperson of Imo State Council for Arts and Culture.

Some of her songs include Polygram, Dancing In The Sun, Onyeka, Inspiration for Change, One Love, and You and I.

FCT police arrest wife for allegedly killing, setting husband ablaze

Mustapha USMAN
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FCT police arrest wife for allegedly killing, setting husband ablaze

THE Federal Capital Territory Police Command has confirmed the arrest of one Rahimat Salaum, a resident of Pegi, Abuja, in connection with the murder of her husband. 

The arrest occurred on July 29, 2024, following credible intelligence received by the operatives attached to the Pegi Police Division.

A statement by the command’s spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, on Tuesday, July 30, stated that the suspect was attempting to flee with the belongings of the partially paralysed husband when he was apprehended.

The wife had been reportedly missing for about three days when police operatives swooped in and arrested her.

“Upon interrogation, the suspect admitted to killing her husband after a fight ensued between them. She subsequently led the police operatives to an uncompleted building where she had dumped the gruesomely burned body.

“While investigation is still ongoing, the commissioner of police, FCT, CP Benneth C. Igweh, psc, mni, wishes to affirm that justice will be served in the matter, as he urged residents to be wary of their environment and report suspicious activities through the police emergency lines,” the statement added.

This latest incident is part of a troubling trend of domestic violence cases in Nigeria, where marital disputes have continued to lead to severe tragic outcomes. 

According to the United Nations, domestic violence is any physical, sexual, psychological, verbal and economic violence between one person and another within the family.

Although the majority of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) victims and survivors are girls and women, the United Nations notes that boys and men can also be harmed by SGBV.

According to a report by The ICIR, most survivors of SGBV are often in a disadvantaged relationship with their abusers,  making it difficult for survivors to escape their environment. 

Sowore kicks as court limits Lagos hunger protest to restricted areas

Bankole ABE
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Sowore kicks as court limits Lagos hunger protest to restricted areas

THE presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in 2023, Omoyele Sowore has kicked against a court order granted by Kehinde Ogundare, a judge at the Lagos State High Court, Igbosere, limiting the planned nationwide protest to restricted areas.

A Lagos High Court had earlier limited protesters planning to participate in the nationwide hunger protest in Lagos to the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in Ojota and Peace Park, Ketu area of the state.

The court also mandated that the protest be held between 8 am and 6 pm daily.

The proposed nationwide protest is scheduled for August 1 -10.

The restriction was granted on Tuesday, July 30, by the court presided by Emmanuel Ogundare.

The judgement was in response to a pre-emptive exparte application filed by the Lagos state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, a senior advocate.

According to the Lagos State government, the goal of the application was to preserve public safety and prevent irreversible loss of life and property in the state during the protest period.

Named in the application as co-defendants are Adamma Ukpabi and Tosin Harsogba (Active Citizens Group); Juwon Sanyaolu and Hassan Soweto (Take it Back Movement), Persons unknown and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police.

The Lagos Attorney-General argued in his application to the court that in his capacity as the state’s chief law officer and having received notices from various parties supporting and opposing the nationwide protest, he was required to safeguard the state’s vital infrastructures and avert the irreversible loss of life and property, as was the case with the 2020 EndSARS protest.

Pedro argued that there were not enough police officers in the state to meet the security needs of the demonstrators who wanted to stage protests in all local government councils, on public highways, and in other sites where the public could gather.

He added that under the guise of a public demonstration against purportedly bad governance, it was imperative to keep the protest from being taken over by thugs willing to break the law and wreak havoc in various parts of the state.

After listening to his presentation of evidence, the judge granted all the reliefs sought in the application.

The judge granted an interim injunction restraining the 1st to 5th defendants/respondents from converging and carrying out their proposed peaceful public protest, rallies, procession and meetings in Lagos State from the 1-10″ August 1-10, 2024 excerpt in the approved designated location for peaceful public protest, rallies and meetings, to wit: Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park, Ikorodu Road, Ojota, Lagos State and Peace Park Ketu Lagos from 8 .00 am to 6 pm pending compliance with the pre-action protocol by the claimant.

The judge also granted an interim order directing the 6th defendant to protect the fundamental rights of the protesters to freedom of association, peaceful public protest, procession and tallies in the approved designated location for peaceful public protest, rallies and meetings in Lagos State at the restricted areas.

But kicking against the judgement in a post on X, Sowore described the ruling as ridiculous.

“The Attorney General of Lagos has obtained a ridiculous court order from Justice Ogundare of Lagos State High Court, Igbosere, asking Nigerian protesters in Lagos to be restricted to three locations and for protests to commence at 8 am and close 6 pm daily for the next seven days.

“Let’s remind @officialABAT that no court can order Nigerians to seek their liberty. Let the actions commence everywhere on August 1st, 2024. #DaysOfRage #RevolutionNow,” the activist tweeted.

Some Nigerians had started gathering to stage a public protest across the country tagged as #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria.   T

The event intends to show the citizens’ anger over the hardships President Bola Tinubu’s administration has inflicted on citizens.

Police arrest Ndume’s supporters over solidarity rally

Bankole ABE
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Police arrest Ndume’s supporters over solidarity rally

THE Police in Borno State have reportedly arrested two supporters of the former Senate Chief Whip, Ali Ndume, in Biu town and detained them in Maiduguri, the state capital.

Alongside the supporters, a legislative aide of the lawmaker was also arrested.

According to Daily Trust, Amina Kachalla, the aide’s wife, confirmed that her husband Shehu Usman Aliyu (Babandi), together with Tasiu Hassan Malgwi and Ibrahim Adamu, had been taken into custody.

She appealed to the police to release her husband who she claimed is the family’s breadwinner.

“We have been suffering since the day he was arrested,” she told the newspaper.

 According to reports, the spokesperson of the Borno State Police Command, Kenneth Daso, confirmed the arrest and added that it was based on an intelligence report.

Daso did not however give details of the case but other supporters of the senator attributed the arrest to an aborted solidarity rally they organised over Ndume’s removal as chief whip of the Senate.

Ndume’s supporters, including clubs, associations, and groups for women and youth, had planned to hold a rally in Biu town last Saturday, but they later cancelled it because of the state’s allegedly unstable security situation.

There is tension among the senator’s supporters in southern Borno, who denounced the arrest and called it a witch-hunt.

It was also learned that the police authorities have obtained a court order to detain the alleged organisers of the solidarity rally until the investigation is completed.

On July 18, Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, was stripped of his role as the Chief Whip of the Senate.

The decision was taken following a letter from the national chairman of the All Progressive Congress, (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, and the party’s secretary, Bashir Ajibola, read at the plenary by the Senate President. 

The ICIR reported that Ndume had alleged that ex-President Muhammadu Buhari was a more accessible leader and accused President Bola Tinubu of being out of touch with some of the issues plaguing the country and had been “fenced off by plutocrats.”

The APC national leaders interpreted these statements as “unguarded utterances” that were “against the federal government”, as contained in the letter. 

The recent sack was the second time the lawmaker would be sacked as a principal officer in the 10th Senate, having served for 21 years in the chamber. 

Libya deports 369 illegal migrants from Nigeria, Mali

Itoro ETUKUDO
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Libya deports 369 illegal migrants from Nigeria, Mali

ABOUT 369 irregular migrants, consisting of 204 Nigerians, have been deported from Libya to Nigeria and Mali.

They include nine babies, 18 minors, and 108 women, as well as 165 Malians.

They were deported on Tuesday, July 30, according to the head of the Libyan Interior Ministry organisation, Mohammed Baredaa.

The migrants were returned to their countries with assistance from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

“Nine babies, 18 minors, and 108 women were among the Nigerian irregular migrants and the flights were carried out in coordination with the International Organization for Migration (IOM),” Baredaa said.

Meanwhile, some of the migrants who spoke to newsmen said that they were deported forcefully.

A 59-year-old Nigerian, Hakim, who lived in Libya for 25 years claimed that Libyan police “came at night and broke down the door,” confiscating his passport and arresting him and his wife before deportation.

This latest deportation operation raises the overall number of migrants returning from Libya to more than 1,000 this year alone.

In 2023, The ICIR reported that the Nigerian government in collaboration with the IOM evacuated 152 stranded Nigerians from Libya.

The head of Nigeria’s Mission in Libya, Kabiru Musa, said that the 152 Nigerians were vulnerable to exploitation and degrading treatment, including forced labour and prostitution as a result of their status as undocumented immigrants, adding that it was the third exercise the Nigerian government and IOM had carried out in 2023, with a successful evacuation of nearly 500 Nigerians stranded in Libya to Nigeria.

FG suspends Arik Air

Itoro ETUKUDO
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FG suspends Arik Air

THE federal government has ordered immediate suspension of Arik Air operations.

The order was issued by the minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo on Tuesday, July 30. 

Although the minister did not state the reason for the suspension, the chief executive officer of Arik Air, Roy Ilegbodu said the decision was a ‘disastrous’ and ‘unjust’ move which came without prior warning, adding that it would have ripple effects on the company and the country’s economy.

“The management of Arik Air (in receivership) is dismayed by the sudden order issued by the honourable Minister of Aviation to ground our aircraft. This decision, made without warning or consultation, has serious repercussions for our valued passengers, dedicated employees, and the broader Nigerian economy”, he said.

Ilegbodu also said the decision would leave passengers stranded and inflate the already high cost of travels in the country.

“Our priority has always been to connect people and facilitate commerce, especially on critical domestic routes. The grounding of our fleet disrupts these vital services, leaving passengers stranded and inflating already high travel costs. This decision hurts everyday Nigerians who rely on our flights for business, family, and essential activities.”

This is not the first time Arik Air has been stopped from carrying out flight operations.

The ICIR reported in 2020 how the airline was shut down by aviation unions over its failure to pay staff salaries, leaving passengers stranded.

The airline had laid off over 90 per cent of its workforce, resulting in the disruption to its services.

In addition to the disruption, the airline has faced several crises in the past years.

MTN shuts down offices nationwide over customers SIM disconnection outrage

Ehime ALEX
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MTN shuts down offices nationwide over customers SIM disconnection outrage

MTN Nigeria Communications (MTN) has shut down all its offices and service centres across the states in Nigeria, following customers’ reaction to the barring of their SIM lines.

The South African telecoms giant announced the closure of its offices nationwide in a notification posted on its X handle on Tuesday, July 30.

“Yello customer, please be informed that our shops nationwide will be closed today, 30th July 2024,” MTN stated.

The announcement came after large crowds overran the MTN outlets in Lagos on Monday, July 29, after the telecom outfit disconnected millions of its subscribers in Nigeria from its network.

The disconnection followed an earlier directive by the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) to disconnect SIMs with irregular user identities in correlation with their National Identification Numbers (NIN).

At the weekend, MTN began disconnection of subscribers whose identities were not in tandem with their NIN, resulting in aggrieved customers storming the MTN offices.

In a viral video on social media, a mob was seen destroying a barricade fence just outside the MTN office.

The clip showed a large crowd of angry subscribers vandalising the telecommunications company’s office in the FESTAC Town area in Lagos state.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, reacting to the situation said the Police Command in FESTAC had restored normalcy in the area.

Following the outage, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) directed that the telecom companies immediately restore all the telephone lines of subscribers that were blocked.

The NCC Director of Media and Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka, in a statement on Monday, July 29, explained that the directive to restore the blocked telephone lines was in response to the widespread disruption and subscriber outrage caused by the blockages.

“The consumer is our priority; therefore, considering the challenges the blockages have caused, the commission has directed all operators to reactivate all lines that were disconnected over the weekend, because of the short time available for consumers to undertake the verification of their NINs with their SIMs,” he said.

In its earnings report for 2023, MTN Nigeria disclosed that it disconnected 4.2 million lines after the February 28 deadline for linking SIMs with NINs expired.

“We also had approximately 4.2 million lines disconnected for which the subscribers did not submit their NIN. Several of these lines were low-value subscribers, minimizing the revenue impact,” it stated.

Odinkalu, others fault NBA president’s position on planned protest

Mustapha USMAN
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Odinkalu, others fault NBA president’s position on planned protest

PRESIDENT of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, has come under fire from Nigerians, including legal practitioners, following his appeal to the organisers of the planned #EndBadGovernance nationwide protest slated to start August 1, to call it off.

Following his appeal, many Nigerians labelled him a pro-government leader, with some lawyers claiming he did not speak for them.

Maikyau had in a statement on Monday, July 29, appealed to the organisers and Nigerians to dialogue with the government and suspend the protest.

He noted that Nigeria’s past experiences with mass protest didn’t look good, with some unscrupulous elements using the opportunity to commit heinous crimes, and turning peaceful protest into violence.

“Whatever we are going through right now cannot be compared to the experience of civil unrest and the chaos that could ensue therefrom. Needless to mention nations that are currently going through wars with the attendant carnage and destructions. We do not even want to imagine what the experience would be, and we must forbid it.

“My humble call and appeal, therefore, to both government, the organisers and/or proponents and supporters of the planned protest, is to call off the protest, come together for a frank and sincere discussion on what must be done to immediately begin to turn around the plight of the people for good,” he said.

Reactions trail NBA’s appeal

Meanwhile, many Nigerians have called out the NBA president, expressing shock over his statement.

Some lawyers also dissociated themselves from the president’s statement while others argued that the Maikyau should be advocating for protesters’ protection.

Chidi Odinkalu, a prominent lawyer and activist, criticised Maikyau for his position on the protest.

In a post on X, Odinkalu wrote, “Anyone who can issue a seven-page release in 11-point typescript to tell competent, adult citizens they should not protest is either illiterate, a comedian, or #BoughtAndPaidFor & that is being very generous. I could be more damning. Please ignore this man.”

Also, another human rights lawyer, Festus Ogun, dissociated himself from the NBA’s statement regarding the protest.

Ogun, who had announced his firm’s willingness to protect and defend any protesters who might need legal assistance, wrote: I am a Nigerian Lawyer, and I completely support the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest. Similarly, I am leading a coalition of young lawyers volunteering to provide legal support for the protesters.

“I disassociate myself from any NBA press statement suggesting otherwise.”

In the same vein, Ridwan Oke, another prominent human rights, lawyer, expressed shock over the president’s position.

“NBA President say make dem shelve protests. He didn’t say protesters should be protected at all costs, he didn’t give an ultimatum for the government to address the concerns of the people but he wants the protests shelved? Never in the life of me have I ever imagined an NBA president issuing this kind of statement,” Oke wrote on his X handle.

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The ICIR reports that some Nigerians, along with a group led by former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, have been mobilising for nationwide protests scheduled for the first week of August.

The posts and tweets on the protest carry different hashtags, ranging from #RevolutionNow, #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria, #TakeItBack, #DaysofRage and #TinubuMustGo.

However, since then, some state actors, including the presidency, military, SSS and police, have threatened the protest organisers, calling on them to suspend the plan.

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