BIG STORY

UPDATE: Ekweremadu To Celebrate Christmas In UK Prison As Court Denies Him Bail, Says “He Is A Flight Risk”

Published

2 years ago

December 21, 2022

The Central Criminal Court in the UK has again refused to grant bail to Ike Ekweremadu, former deputy senate president.

Ekweremadu and Beatrice, his wife, are facing charges bordering on conspiracy to arrange/facilitate the travel of another person with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting.

The couple were arrested by the London Metropolitan Police in June and appeared before a magistrate court in July.

Ekweremadu’s wife was granted bail on July 22, but the senator’s request was denied.

The police had alleged that David Ukpo, the reported victim at the centre of the organ harvesting allegation, is a 15-year-old but the court ruled that he is 21.

Sonia, Ekweremadu’s daughter, was also charged with conspiracy to arrange the travel of another person with a view to harvesting the person’s organ for her benefit.

Ekweremadu’s daughter is said to be suffering from a kidney disease and needs a transplant.

In a fresh bail application, Ekweremadu’s lawyer argued that the Nigerian high commissioner to the UK and the attorney-general of the federation had written to the court stating that Ekweremadu was not a flight risk.

The attorney also claimed that the Nigerian high commission in the UK had agreed to guarantee the senator’s appearance should he pose a flight risk and had also provided the option of electronically tracking Ekweremadu’s movements.

His attorney further contended that Ekweremadu had demonstrated that he was a loving and responsible parent and could not flee London, abandoning his wife and ailing daughter, citing the testimony of Ekweremadu’s character by renowned Nigerians and organisations.

In order to gain Ekweremadu’s release on bail, the defence also informed the court that they had sureties and security totaling around 500,000 pounds sterling from 11 individuals.

However, opposing the bail application, the prosecution insisted that Ekweremadu is a flight risk, arguing that since the lawmaker holds passports from two other nations, in addition to Nigeria, he might go to any of the other countries.

In addition, the prosecution referred to the assets forfeiture proceedings against Ekweremadu at the federal high court of Abuja and cited the EFCC letter dated July 18, 2022, which was signed by Abdulkarim Chukkoi, assistant director of operations, on behalf of Abdulraheed Bawa, the executive chairman.

Ruling on the application on Tuesday, the Judge said: “I am entirely satisfied there remains a flight risk,” adding that bail would not make much difference “as the trial is just over a month away.”

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BIG STORY

President Tinubu Submits Four Tax Reform Bills To National Assembly

Published

15 hours ago

October 3, 2024

PorscheClassy News

President Bola Tinubu has submitted four tax reform bills to the National Assembly for their consideration.

In a letter presented during the plenary sessions by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, on Thursday, the President outlined that the bills align with his administration’s goals.

The proposed legislation includes the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, designed to establish a comprehensive fiscal framework for regulating taxes.

The Tax Administration Bill aims to provide a clear legal structure for managing taxes in Nigeria, reducing disputes and improving efficiency.

Additionally, the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill seeks to repeal the Federal Inland Revenue Service Act and establish the Nigeria Revenue Service.

The Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill proposes the creation of a tax tribunal and an ombudsman to handle tax-related issues.

Tinubu emphasized that these bills are intended to strengthen Nigeria’s fiscal institutions and support the broader development goals of his government.

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BIG STORY

BREAKING: Court Bars VIO From Stopping, Impounding, Confiscating Vehicles

Published

15 hours ago

October 3, 2024

PorscheClassy News

A Federal High Court in Abuja has barred the Directorate of Road Traffic Services (VIO) from stopping vehicles, impounding or confiscating them, and imposing fines on motorists.

Justice Evelyn Maha issued the order in a judgment on fundamental rights enforcement suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1695/2023, filed by human rights activist Abubakar Marshal.

The judge upheld Marshal’s argument that “no law empowers respondents to stop, impound, confiscate, seize, or impose fines on motorists.”

Justice Maha declared that the respondents, under the control of the Minister of the FCT, are not empowered by any law to stop, impound, or confiscate vehicles or impose fines.

She issued an order restraining them from doing so, stating it’s “wrongful, oppressive, and unlawful.”

Additionally, Justice Maha made a perpetual injunction restraining the respondents from violating Nigerians’ rights to freedom of movement, presumption of innocence, and right to own property without lawful justification.

More to come…

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BIG STORY

NELFUND Fixes BVN Verification Glitch, Urges Students To Reapply For Loans

Published

16 hours ago

October 3, 2024

PorscheClassy News

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has announced the resolution of a technical issue that disrupted the BVN (Bank Verification Number) verification process for students applying for loans.

The issue, which began over the weekend and persisted through the public holiday, caused delays for many applicants.

In a statement posted on NELFUND’s official X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday, the organization confirmed that the issue had been fully resolved by Tuesday morning. NELFUND advised all affected students to log back into the portal, complete their BVN verification, and proceed with their loan applications.

“Dear Students,

“We have observed that many of you experienced issues with BVN verification while applying for the student loan over the last weekend, including the public holiday.

“We are pleased to inform you that the issue has been addressed and fully resolved as of yesterday morning.

“We kindly advise all affected students to log back into the portal, complete the BVN verification process, and proceed with your loan application,” the statement read in part.

NELFUND also expressed gratitude to students for their patience during the disruption and reassured them that the application process can now continue smoothly without further issues.

The revised Student Loan Act of 2024 was designed to eliminate financial barriers and make education more accessible to all Nigerian students, regardless of their economic background.

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) receives its primary funding from a 1% allocation of the total revenues collected by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Nigerian Immigration Service, and Nigerian Customs Service through taxes, levies, and duties.

In August, President Bola Tinubu announced that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had transferred N50 billion in recovered funds to NELFUND, following his directive, to further strengthen the student loan program.

Students from across the country applied for the NELFUND loan, with the top 10 states having the highest number of applicants, in ascending order, being Taraba, Yobe, Adamawa, Oyo, Plateau, Kaduna, Katsina, Benue, Borno, and Kano, which ranks first.

Since the fund disbursement’s rollout, NELFUND has distributed N4.6 billion as tuition support to students in 59 approved tertiary institutions across the country.

This includes N2.5 billion disbursed in August and an additional N2.1 billion disbursed to students in 40 institutions earlier in September.

Furthermore, in August, NELFUND initiated the distribution of N20,000 monthly stipends to beneficiaries, with 20,371 students from six tertiary institutions successfully receiving their July payments.

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