The House of Representatives has adopted the report of its committee on finance on the tax reform bills after five months of negotiations and a three-day public hearing on the much-debated bills.. However, many amendments were made to accommodate all concerns as the bills were approved without any dissenting voice. Most notable among the amendments include the retention of value added tax (VAT) at 7.5 percent, redefinition of the inheritance…

By Fatimah Idera A magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck a volcanic area near the southern Italian city of Naples early Thursday, damaging buildings and sending residents fleeing into the streets. According to Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), the earthquake occurred at 1:25 a.m. (0025 GMT), with its epicentre near the coastal town of Pozzuoli, located west of Naples. The quake, which was followed by several smaller tremors, was…

Members of the United States House of Representatives have called on President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on Nigeria over the continuous killing of Christians in the country. The demand was made during a congressional hearing on the worsening religious persecution in Nigeria, where lawmakers and experts detailed the scale of violence against Christians and other minorities. During the session, the House discussed the persistent attacks carried out by Islamist…

Governor Siminalayi Fubara has offered the olive branch to members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, appealing to them to embrace peace for the resolution of the political impasse in the oil-rich state. The governor, who spoke on Thursday appealed to the lawmakers to put the interest of the people of the state above everything. Speaking during the commissioning of some projects in the Okrika Local Government Area of…

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted $1,154,900 and SR135,900 undeclared foreign currency at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) in Kano State. Annoucing this in a statement on Thursday,NCS spokesman, Abdullahi Maiwada, disclosed that the seizure was made recently during a routine baggage check on an inbound passenger, Hauwa Ibrahim Abdullahi, who arrived on Saudi Airline Flight No. SV401 from Saudi Arabia. Maiwada said, during the physical examination…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a husband and wife, Baba Abubakar Sadiq and Hafsat Lawal, alongside two accomplices, Abdullahi Bala and Ladani Akindele, for allegedly defrauding victims of N197.75 million by impersonating the First Lady of Katsina State, Fatima Radda. The defendants were brought before Justice Amina Bello of the Kaduna State High Court on a six-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence, money…

The Rivers State House of Assembly has concluded plans to investigate the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Amadi, over allegation of falsification of age. This come amid the ongoing political crisis in the state. Events of the last few months, which arose as a result of the falling-out of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, Nyesom Wike, and Governor Siminalayi Fubara, have risen to a nauseating crescendo, culminating in the…

The Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has filed a contempt charge against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio over the six-month suspension slammed on her by the Senate. Also, she cited the Clerk of the National Assembly and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Code of Conduct, Senator Neda Imasuem as contemnors in the Form 48 she entered before the Federal High Court in Abuja, on…

In a significant turn of events, Russia has declared that it does not seek a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine but instead aims for a long-term peace settlement that prioritizes its strategic interests. This statement comes as a U.S. delegation arrives in Moscow for crucial negotiations. Yuri Ushakov, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy adviser, announced on Thursday that Moscow views the proposed 30-day ceasefire—brokered after talks between the U.S. and…

The never-ending political crisis in Rivers State may yet get messier, as moves are afoot to recall the Supreme Court-reinstated Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule. According to reports, Kenneth Amadi, a legal practitioner has written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to commence recall proceedings against the pro-Wike Speaker.The sad commentary, which is the latest twist in the protracted political crisis in Rivers State, all…

After Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan raised her suspension at the UN Inter-Parliamentary conference in New York, the IPU assured her it would take steps to address the issue after hearing the Senate’s side. Akpoti-Uduaghan had taken her case before the global institution for them to prevail over what she claimed was an injustice meted on her. However, after listening to her complaint, the Senate has responded to the IPU through a…

The trial of former Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and his Finance Commissioner, Ademola Banu, over the alleged misappropriation of N5.78 billion in public funds, continued yesterday before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin. During the hearing, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) presented its second witness, Musa Oladimeji Dasuki, a retired Permanent Secretary at the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), who…