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Just In: Emefiele Reportedly Opts For Plea Bargain With FG

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The suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele has reportedly opted for a plea bargain leading to an indefinite shift in his arraignment in court.

Sources privy to the development said Emefiele and his co-accused, Saadat Yaro, have opted for a plea bargain policy to settle with the Federal Government.

Recall that the federal government filed a N6.9 billion 20-count charge bordering on alleged breach of procurement laws and contract inflation on the suspects.

However, the arraignment scheduled for Wednesday by a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory was not stated on the cause list of the court this morning.

Similarly, Emefiele and his co-defendant, Yaro were not in court neither was any unusual security presence observed around the court premises.

The lawyers of the parties involved in the matter were also not present in court, while the arraignment was shifted at the instance of the detained CBN Governor to enable all parties come into an agreement.

Emefiele’s lawyer Kehinde Akinlolu (SAN) was also said to have confirmed the shift in the arraignment, adding that a new date may likely be issued by the Chief Judge, Justice Hussein Baba Yusuf.

Meanwhile, the court has commenced proceedings on other matters on the cause list.

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President Tinubu signs four TAX Bills into Law Tomorrow

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President Bola Tinubu will, on Thursday, sign into law four groundbreaking tax reform bills that will transform Nigeria’s fiscal and revenue framework.

According to the press release signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President (Information and Strategy) the four bills, the Nigeria Tax Bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill, were passed by the National Assembly after extensive consultations with various interest groups and stakeholders.

When the new tax laws become operational, they are expected to significantly transform tax administration in the country, leading to increased revenue generation, improved business environment, and a boost in domestic and foreign investments.

The historic presidential assent to the bills at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, will be witnessed by the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Senate Majority Leader, House Majority Leader, chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, and his House counterpart.

The Chairman of the Governors Forum, the Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum, the Minister of Finance and Coordination Minister of the Economy, and the Attorney General of the Federation will also attend the ceremony.

One of the four bills is the Nigeria Tax Bill (Ease of Doing Business), which aims to consolidate Nigeria’s fragmented tax laws into a harmonised statute.

By reducing the multiplicity of taxes and eliminating duplication, the bill will enhance the ease of doing business, reduce taxpayer compliance burdens, and create a more predictable fiscal environment.

The second bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, will establish a uniform legal and operational framework for tax administration across federal, state, and local governments.

The Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, the third bill, repeals the current Federal Inland Revenue Service Act and creates a more autonomous and performance-driven national revenue agency— the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS).

It defines the NRS’s expanded mandate, including non-tax revenue collection, and lays out transparency, accountability, and efficiency mechanisms.

The fourth bill is the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill. It provides for a formal governance structure to facilitate cooperation between revenue authorities at all levels of government.

It introduces essential oversight mechanisms, including establishing a Tax Appeal Tribunal and an Office of the Tax Ombudsman.

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Lagos State Enforcement Team Busts Illegal Abattoir in Agege, Arrests Operators

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The Lagos State enforcement squad of the MOE&WR led by KAI operatives on Wednesday burst an illegal abbatoir which was being operated at a private residence at Succo road directly opposite the RRS Barracks and LASTMA Yard in Oko Oba, Agege, arresting some of those found slaughtering animals for public consumption in the location.

The operation followed a tip-off from a whistle blower.

“The enforcement team said, the contaminated meat from cows and goats have been confiscated to prevent it from entering the food chain”.

“This action of the operators of the abbatoir is in defiance of the closure of the Oko Oba Abbatoir and poses great health dangers and environmental risks to the law abiding residents of the area”.

“We need to make it clear that such disregard for public health and sanitation will not be tolerated in Lagos State” .

“Every Government’s primary responsibility is the protection of lives and properties and we will not shirk that responsbbility.”

“We will continue to ensure that only safe and approved public facilities are allowed to operate within our communities.”the statement reads.

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Former Kwara gov, Cornelius Adebayo, dies at 84

Born on February 24, 1941, in Igbaja, in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara, Adebayo was known for his impactful service in both state and national capacities.

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Former Governor of Kwara State and ex-Minister of Communications, Cornelius Adebayo, has died.Adebayo died at the age of 84.

He died in the early hours of today (Wednesday).

Born on February 24, 1941, in Igbaja, in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara, Adebayo was known for his impactful service in both state and national capacities.

He rose to political prominence in 1979 as a Senator under the Unity Party of Nigeria.

He later became Governor of Kwara State in 1983, a tenure cut short by a military coup.

Years later, he was appointed Minister of Communications under President Olusegun Obasanjo.

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