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MultiChoice loses bid to stop NBC from auditing its account
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A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday, refused to grant an application filed by MultiChoice Nigeria Ltd, seeking an interim order restraining the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) from requesting any financial, accounting, or tax documents from them.
Justice James Omotosho, in a ruling on the ex-parte motion moved by the applicant’s counsel, Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN, rather directed all parties, in the interest of justice, not to take any step that could make the outcome of the suit nugatory.
Although the ruling was delivered on Wednesday, its certified true copy was sighted on Friday.
“The ex-parte order for Interim Injunction dated 8th day of May, 2024 and filed 16th day of May, 2024 is hereby refused,” he declared.
Justice Omotosho then adjourned the matter until May 30 for hearing of the motion on notice.
MultiChoice Nigeria Limited and Details Nigeria Limited, a provider of the subscription based digital terrestrial television service, known as GOtv, are 1st and 2nd applicants.
In the ex-parte motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/652/2024 dated May 8 and filed May 16 by their lawyer, they sued NBC as sole respondent.
The applicants sought three reliefs, including an order of interim injunction, restraining NBC from carrying out any investigations of the companies for the purposes of determining their annual income or NBC levy for the years between 2014 and 2024 pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
They sought an order of interim injunction restraining the NBC from requesting, demanding and or receiving any financial, accounting or tax documents from the companies other than the annual audited accounts of the companies already submitted to the commission.
They said this was in pursuant to Section 2 (10) (b) of the NBC Code 6th Edition for the purposes of determining her remittance of NBC levy for the 2014 to 2024 years of account pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
They equally prayed an order of interim injunction restraining the commission from sanctioning, fining or suspending the companies’ license pursuant to the threats contained in its letter dated April 29 to them, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
In the affidavit deposed to by the companies’ Head of Compliance, Gozie Onumonu, he averred that the firms were mandated under the various NBC Codes to pay a certain percentage of their income as annual NBC levy to the respondent.
He said that the current code; NBC Code 6th Edition, provides for 2.5% of the income of a broadcaster to be paid to the respondent yearly as annual NBC levy while the erstwhile code which was amended in 2019 provides for 1.5% of the income of a broadcaster to be paid to the defendant yearly as annual levy.
He claimed that the companies had never defaulted in paying their annual levy to the commission.
“Income as provided by the NBC Code 6th Edition is not defined neither is it defined in any other previous editions nor in the NBC Act 2004.
“As a result of the lack of definition of what an income is, there was a dispute between the applicants and the respondent in the year 2014 whether income should be turnover or revenue minus cost of production.
“After due negotiations, meetings, etc., between the applicants and the respondent, it was agreed by the applicants and respondent that income should be revenue minus cost of production.
“In the year 2014, when the applicants subtracted the cost of production from their revenue in order to arrive at the then 1.5 per cent required of the applicants under the NBC Code 5th Edition, what was left for the applicants to pay to the defendant in compliance with the 1.5% requirement of the NBC Code 5th Edition was negligible.
“The amount the respondent would have been entitled to, from the applicants as annual NBC levy between 2014 to 2019 if the applicants were to strictly pay the 1.5% annual NBC levy provided by the 5th Edition of the Code was small and the respondent might not be able to carry out its administrative functions in view of its financial needs.
“Specifically, in the year 2014 and 2015, the amount that would have been due to the defendant as 1.5% of the annual income of the 1st applicant was N2.1 million (N2,167,254)
“As a result, the respondent beseeched the applicants to consent to the payment of a fixed sum of N500 million (N500,000,000) as annual levy for the applicants’ licence period of 2014 to 2019 the sum of which was far more than what the plaintiffs were supposed to be paying to the respondent if the applicants were to pay only the 1.5 per cent of their annual income as provided by the NBC Code.
“For the years 2014 to 2019 that the respondent wants to carry out the investigation to verify whether the applicants paid up to 2.5% of their annual incomes as annual NBC levy, the operational NBC Code then was the NBC Code, 5th Edition and it requires broadcaster to pay 1.5% of their annual incomes as annual levy,” he said.
Onumonu, who said the companies had already submitted a certified true copy of their audited account for the previous year(s) to NBC, said the commission was paid over N12 billion (N12, 490, 000, 0000) as annual levy from 2014 to date.
The officer described NBC’s action as an abuse of power, urging the court to grant their plea in the interest of justice.
(NAN)
The Federal Fire Service, Gombe State Command, has disclosed that the command saved property estimated at N35m from a fire outbreak at a 15-bedroom residential flat location in Pantami Quarters, Gombe State.
Our correspondent learnt that the incident occurred behind Jiri and Brothers Filling Station in the state capital.
The Command made this disclosure in a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, ASF Bashir Muazu, on Wednesday.
According to the statement, the fire service received a distress call and immediately deployed a Multi-Purpose Water Tender to the scene.
The vehicle, driven by ASF II Muazu Tagwai and led by ASF I Abdulwahab Abubakar, commenced firefighting operations upon arrival.
The statement added that some of the property, estimated at N17m, was, however, destroyed in the inferno.
“The timely intervention of the firefighting team ensured that property estimated at N35 million was successfully salvaged, while property valued at approximately N17 million was lost to the fire,” the statement said.
The Federal Fire Service said officers of the Gombe State Fire Service also supported the operation, contributing to the effective containment of the fire.
The Command urged residents to remain vigilant and observe basic fire-safety measures, particularly in residential buildings.
It also advised members of the public to report fire emergencies promptly to enable firefighters to respond immediately and effectively to minimise losses.
The Imo State Police Command on Thursday said security agencies have launched a swift operation that led to the rescue of 10 victims abducted by gunmen along the Owerri-Onitsha Road.
This was contained in a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, Henry Okoye.
“The rescued victims are in safe hands and are being attended to. The exact number of persons abducted is being verified and will be made public once confirmed,” the Command said.
It said it deployed tactical teams and operational assets in a coordinated search-and-rescue operation following the abduction of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) corps members and other passengers.
The Command said two buses carrying corps members and other passengers were attacked by suspected armed men at about 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 1, 2026, near Umunoha.
The development follows the reported abduction of 20 corps members along the road while travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to NYSC orientation camps in the South-East and South-South.
The victims were reportedly travelling in a commercial bus when they were intercepted by gunmen.
According to the Command, the two buses were conveying NYSC corps members and other passengers from Ibadan to Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, and Bende, Abia State, respectively, when they came under attack.
The Command said its tactical teams were conducting coordinated search-and-rescue operations, supported by intelligence-led tracking aimed at locating the suspected abductors and securing the release of the remaining victims.
It said that the Commissioner of Police, CP Audu Bosso, alongside other service commanders, visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment and to provide operational direction.
The police said Bosso assured the public that the operation would continue until all victims were safely recovered and the suspects brought to justice.
“The Commissioner of Police, alongside other Service Commanders, visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment and to give operational direction. He assured the public that the Command will sustain the operation until all victims are safely recovered and the suspects are brought to justice,” the statement read in part
The affected section of the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway has since been reopened, with traffic flowing normally, while security personnel remain deployed to protect commuters.
The Command also said it was working with the NYSC directorate to contact the families of affected corps members and keep them informed as the operation progresses.
It urged members of the public to remain calm and vigilant and provide credible information that could assist the rescue operation.
“All information will be treated in confidence,” the police said, adding that further updates would be issued as the situation progresses.
The incident comes weeks after security forces rescued 15 corps members and six others abducted in Kogi State.
The victims were rescued after a sustained, intelligence-driven operation in Egume Forest, with security forces continuing efforts to apprehend the kidnappers.
The mother of one of the NYSC members reportedly abducted along the Owerri Onitsha Expressway in Imo State has recounted the last moments she had contact with her daughter before she was allegedly taken by gunmen.
The woman, whose viral video appealing for help has circulated online, said her daughter left Samonda in Ibadan, Oyo State, for her National Youth Service Corps orientation camp in Abia State.
According to her, the young woman remained in contact with the family during the journey and used her phone location to keep them updated on her movement.
She said that at about 6am on Thursday, the daughter sent a message to the family’s WhatsApp group indicating that kidnappers had attacked their vehicle before briefly placing a call.
“She took off from Samonda in Ibadan to Abia. By 6am, she called in our family group chat and used her location so we could see her live updates. She then typed something about kidnappers and immediately called briefly. Since then, she has been unreachable,” the mother said.
The family later received information that the vehicle carrying the corps members had made a stopover in Abia State before continuing towards Imo.
“We later got other updates that they had a stopover along Abia, en route to Imo, at about 4am this morning,” she added.
The incident reportedly occurred around the Umunoha axis of the Owerri Onitsha Expressway in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, where gunmen were said to have attacked two commercial buses.
Several travellers, including corps members heading to orientation camps in the South East and South South, were reportedly caught in the attack.
The two buses were said to have been travelling from the Lagos direction towards Anambra when they were intercepted. Reports from the scene indicated that passengers were robbed before some were allegedly taken into a nearby bush.
A video circulating online showed the two buses abandoned on the highway, while residents and other road users gathered around the scene.
The mother, who appealed for urgent intervention, said she was deeply worried about her daughter and called on the authorities to help locate the abducted passengers.
The exact number of people abducted in the incident remained unclear as of the time of filing this report.
The Imo State Police Command had also not officially confirmed the attack or provided details on the number of victims.
The reported abduction has raised fresh concerns over the safety of travellers using the Owerri Onitsha Expressway, particularly as many young Nigerians are currently travelling to NYSC orientation camps across the country.
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