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Ekweremadu: Nigerian Senate joins Reps, ECOWAS Parliament to plead for clemency

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The Nigerian Senate has joined the House of Representatives and the ECOWAS Parliament to appeal to the Central Criminal Court, Old Bailey, London, for clemency in the sentencing of Senator Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice.

The Senate’s decision to appeal for clemency followed a motion raised by Senator Chukwuka Utazi during Wednesday’s plenary session.

This is coming after both the House of Representatives and the ECOWAS Parliament on Tuesday appealed to the UK government to temper justice with mercy.

In the motion, Senator Utazi recalled that Ekweremadu was a former Deputy Senate President for 12 years and the former Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament and has made enormous contributions to the development of democracy in Nigeria, West Africa and beyond.

He added that Ekweremadu and his wife are first-time offenders with no previous criminal records and that since the matter is in the United Kingdom, a novel approach in sentencing be adopted by tempering justice with mercy, as the publicity already given to the trial is enough warning to would-be offenders in the future.

Utazi further noted that the British judicial authorities should consider the long history of good relationship existing between Nigeria and the British government and that this is the first time the Senate is making this kind of plea to the British government to yield to a request for clemency for the Ekweremadus.

Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, in his response, said he had written a letter to the British judicial authorities two weeks ago seeking clemency on behalf of the Senate.

The appeal is ahead of the sentencing of Ekweremadu, who alongside his wife; and their doctor, Obinna Obeta were convicted of organ trafficking in the first verdict of its kind under the Modern Slavery Act.

After a six-week organ trafficking trial at the Old Bailey, the couple and their doctor on March 23 were found guilty of facilitating the travel of a young man to Britain on behalf of Ekweremadu’s sick daughter, Sonia, with a view to his exploitation.

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Police to partner NDLEA against drug abuse in Osun

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Police arrest three suspected kidnappers in Lagos

The Commissioner of Police in Osun, Mohammed Abba, has pledged   collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in tackling the menace of drug Abuse in the state.

A statement by the Police Public Relation Officer, CSP Yemisi Opalaola, on Thursday in Osogbo, said that the commissioner made the pledge while playing host to NDLEA State Commandant, Adetula Lawal.

Abba expressed his readiness to further strengthen the healthy partnership between the two agencies.

The police commissioner said that the fight against drug abuse required collective efforts.

According to him, many of those committing crimes are doing so under the influence of dangerous drugs.

Abba promised to provide the necessary support to the NDLEA in the state.

The statement quoted Lawal as commending the police commissioner’s efforts in combating crime and criminality in the state.

He reiterated the agency’s collaboration with the police, as a leading security agency to tackle the menace of drug abuse and trafficking in the state.

 

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Customs’ 4% FOB levy will further increase inflation – financial experts

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Suspected drug smugglers kill two Customs officers in Kebbi

Financial experts have raised alarm that the implementation of the 4 per cent Free-On-Board (FOB) Levy on imports would exacerbate inflation in the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) report that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Feb. 5 announced its introduction of the FOB levy on imports.

According to Abdullahi Maiwada, the spokesman of the service, the introduction of the levy was in line with the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act (NCSA) 2023.

“In line with the provisions of Section 18 (1) of NCSA 2023, the NCS is implementing a 4 per cent charge on the Free On-Board (FOB) value of imports.

“The FOB charge, which is calculated based on the value of imported goods, including the cost of goods and transportation expenses incurred up to the port of loading, is essential to driving the effective operation of the service.”

However, a former Chairman, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Ogun Chapter, Dr Wale Adegbite and Evans Osabuohien, a Professor of Economics, said that the levy would worsen the nation’s inflation rate.

In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Ota, Ogun, Adegbite and Osabuohien of the Department of Economics, Covenant University, said that the policy would negatively impact the economy.

The former MAN chairman said that the 4 per cent levy by the NCS “is a disaster and will worsen an already bad situation with multiple devastating effect on the economy.

” Why would the government inflict more hardship on the population as this new policy will certainly lead to more price increase, thus further increasing the country’s inflation rate.

“In addition, the masses will suffer more because of the impending price increase without any corresponding increase in income.”

Also, Osabuohien said that though the new FOB policy by the NCS was meant to generate more revenue for the federal government, but it would negatively impact on the economy.

He said that the NCS action would increase the cost of living of households.

The economist explained further that the development would increase the cost of operations of Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs), especially those companies that depend on imported raw materials for their production.

“This additional cost to be incurred through the 4 per cent increase in FOB would be transferred to the consumers and it would automatically trigger increase in the nation’s inflation rate,” Osabuohien said.

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Trump plans 25% tariffs on steel, aluminium imports

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U.S. President Donald Trump plans to impose tariffs of 25 per cent on steel and aluminium imports into the United States, he said on Sunday.

“Any steel coming to the United States is going to have them, 25 per cent tariff,” Trump said, according to journalists travelling with the president. When questioned about tariffs on aluminium imports, Trump replied, “25 Per cent for both.”

Trump also confirmed his plan to announce further reciprocal tariffs in the coming week.

He spoke of an announcement on Tuesday or Wednesday.

“Very simply, if they charge us, we charge them, Trump told reporters, adding that the tariffs would go into effect almost immediately.”

U.S. tariffs of 10 per cent on Chinese goods took effect from Feb. 4.

The planned tariffs of 25 per cent on Mexico and Canada were suspended for an initial period of 30 days following promises from the two countries to increase border security measures.

Trump won November’s presidential election promising to slap high tariffs on foreign goods to reduce U.S. trade deficits.

He implemented a number of duties during his first term from 2017 to 2021.

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