News

Why FG’s Duty-free Food Policy Is Yet To Start — Customs

Published

1 year ago

September 6, 2024

The Nigeria Customs Service, on Thursday, said the suspension of customs duties and taxes on imported food items will be implemented as soon as the service receives the list of beneficiaries from the Ministry of Finance.

This is coming almost two months after the Federal Government directed that the authorities of the Nigeria Customs Services should give a 150-day duty-free window to allow the importation of maize, husked brown rice, and wheat.

The initiative was said to be part of measures to combat rising food inflation across the country.

On August 7, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, said the implementation of the policy would commence the following week once the guidelines are ready.

He explained that the delay experienced in the implementation of the policy was to ensure that the interests of all the stakeholders, including farmers, were considered.

However, while fielding questions at a joint press briefing of security agencies, organised by the Strategic Communications Inter-agency Policy Committee Office of the National Security Adviser, the spokesperson of the NCS, Abdullahi Maiwada said the directive was yet to be implemented because the list of those who will benefit from tax exemptions was yet to come from the Ministry of Finance.

He added that by the time the service gets the lists, the directives would be implemented within a twinkle of an eye.

Maiwada said, “The issue of food security. You made mention of the policy that was announced by Mr. President and we have issued a statement on the guidelines on how to benefit from that policy. Well, I would like to discuss in such a way that the common man would understand how these things work.

“People think that me and you can just go and import rice. No, that is not what the policy is all about. We have policy issues that have a long-term effect. We have the medium-term and we have the short-term effects.

“So, while formulating policies that are related that have a short-term effect, we have to do it in such a way that it will not have adverse effects on long-term policy issues. Our responsibility as an agency of government, Nigeria Customs Service, is to implement government policies.

“That’s why the statement we issued is based on the guideline issued by the Federal Ministry of Finance. They have issued a guideline on how to achieve, what are the conditions, and what are the requirements for you to benefit from that zero import duty.”

He added, “We have three lines, six lines of tariff line with the HS code, harmonized system code, with initially a duty of 35% duty and leave you some of the items and they have all been waived.

“However, the policy stated clearly that you must be a miller, you must be a taxpayer, you must have been into operations for a certain number of years and there will be a quota that will be issued by the Federal Ministry of Finance.

“So, the list of those who benefit from those exemptions will come from the Ministry of Finance and our role as an agency of government is to implement the directives of the government. So we are policy implementers, not formulators.

“So, by the time we get those lists, within the twinkle of an eye, we are going to implement those directives from the Federal Ministry of Finance.”

News

Police Arrest Nollywood Production Manager For Assaulting Crew Member

Published

49 minutes ago

October 31, 2025

Editor

The Lagos State Police have arrested a Nollywood production manager, Anierobi Courage, for allegedly assaulting a crew member.

Anierobi Courage, better known as Nwa South, reportedly assaulted the head of makeup, Mary Chizzy Eze, on October 28, 2025, while on the set of the film “Lagos to Opulence.”

A trending video of the physical altercation showed the production manager pressing Mary’s throat after slapping her, an act that has sparked widespread outrage on social media.

Reacting to the public condemnation, the Nigeria Film Crew Community (NFCC), in a statement released on Thursday, described Courage’s actions as “animalistic behaviour.”

Announcing his arrest, NFCC called on Nollywood producers and other stakeholders to blacklist Courage across all productions.

“The production manager violently hit and strangled Mary Chizzy Eze for speaking up against unequal treatment among the crew. While she has received medical care, he has been arrested.

“This level of disregard for human dignity is unacceptable. We stand firmly against all forms of abuse, assault, and crew maltreatment,” the NFCC said.

News

‘EFCC Collected N10m Before They Released Me’ – Oladips Alleges [VIDEO]

Published

2 hours ago

October 31, 2025

Editor

Popular Nigerian singer, Oladips has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, of collecting N10 million from him.

The rapper made this known nearly a year after he was arrested by EFCC during a midnight raid in his estate.

Oladips was arrested with some of his neighbors for alleged fraud in November 2024.

He was released after spending five days in detention.

Speaking about his experience with the EFCC, Oladips in his latest interview on Trending podcast, stated that nothing was found on him after the EFCC investigations.

While revealing that the EFCC collected N10 million from him before his release, he lamented that “Nigeria just happened to me”.

“It’s just one smelling place like that. They just packed us there like sardines and they gave us nonsense food. Funny enough it was Zlatan that was sending me food. Zlatan is not even a friend, that’s my blood.

“He was sending someone to buy good food for me because the food there is bad. They just packed us there like sardines. I’m not even supposed to be there first of all. Like, why did I spend four to five days there when you people (EFCC) didn’t find anything on me, not even a single thing. And they still collect N10 million from me before they released me.”

When asked “Is it a thing you can take up against the EFCC later, or you will just allow the sleeping dog lie?”, the singer responded “Who is my father?”

“Who is my father now? At the end of the day, who is my father? It’s just me and my truth. It’s not something I will want to. I don’t just know how the system works. I for dey their page now if to say I dey do Yahoo. They didn’t find anything on me. If they are watching this, they know that I’m saying the truth.

“They collected money from me before they released me. They didn’t find anything on me. So, what was the money for? What was all that stress and suffering for? It’s just Nigeria. Nigeria just happened to me,” he said.

https://x.com/i/status/1983504280972615813

News

Bank MD Jailed Five Years For N32m Fraud

Published

3 hours ago

October 31, 2025

Editor

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has secured a five-year conviction of a former Managing Director of Bonghe Micro Finance Bank, Grace Karka, for her role in a N32m fraud, with an option of fine.

The PUNCH learnt in a statement by the EFCC on Thursday that the agency received a petition from the bank alleging that the defendant transferred N32m while she was the bank’s MD to an unknown account.

The statement noted that the petitioner said the fraudulent act was discovered during an audit of the bank’s account domiciled with a commercial bank.

She was subsequently arraigned before Justice Benjamin Lawan Manji of the Adamawa State High Court on counts of criminal conspiracy and cheating.

One of the charges read: “That you, Grace Andreas Karka and Prince Moses Batalu, between August 2020 and March 2021 in Yola, Adamawa State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did agree amongst yourselves to do an illegal act, to wit theft of N66,792,960.00 from Bonghe Micro Finance Bank Nigeria Limited (account number 2013668857 domiciled with First Bank Nigeria Limited) by dishonestly moving the said sum without necessary approval, contrary to Section 61(2) of the Adamawa State Penal Code Law 2018.”

According to the statement, the defendant was arraigned in November 2024, but she pleaded not guilty, which led to a full trial.

The EFCC said during the trial, the prosecutor presented witnesses and tendered several documents, while the defendant presented three witnesses.

Following the trial, the judge found the defendant guilty and sentenced her to five years’ imprisonment.

“Justice Manji, on October 17, 2025, while delivering judgment, said the prosecution proved the case beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted the defendant accordingly on counts one and two.

“The judge also sentenced Karka to five years’ imprisonment with an option of N3m each on counts one and two. The sentence is to run concurrently.

“In addition, the court ordered the convict to restitute the balance of N29,877,040 to the petitioner,” the statement added.

This is not the first time a former bank MD has been jailed for fraud.