A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to pay a firm – Kasmal International Services – N579,130,698,440 for assisting the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) to collect stamp duty between January 1, 2015 and January 31, 2020.
The court also ordered the CBN to pay the N579 billion judgment sum along with 10 percent interest per annum.
Justice Inyang Ekwo handed down the judgement on Friday in a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/335/2024 filed by Kasmal, with the CBN and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice as defendants.
Justice Ekwo faulted the defendants’ contention that NIPOST lacked the statutory power to collect stamp duties and that the agreement it (NIPOST) reached with the plaintiff was illegal.
The judge declared that a previous judgment on stamp duty given in favour of the plaintiff still subsisted as it is yet to be contradicted by any higher court.
Justice Ekwo faulted the argument by the CBN and the AGF that the reliefs sought by the plaintiff could not be granted because all revenues accruing to the federation, including the stamp duties, are remitted into the Federation Account, which could only be distributed among the tiers of government as provided in the Constitution.
The judge noted that the CBN had earlier paid Kasmal N10.3 billion, representing 15 percent of the remitted stamp duty paid by all Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) between January 1, 2015, and January 31, 2020, from the CBN NIPOST Stamp Duty Collection Account No. 3000047517.
He said: “I find, at the end, that the CBN and the AGF have not effectively controverted the case of the plaintiff. The plaintiff, having made a credible case, ought to succeed on the merit, and I so hold.
“It is my opinion that this case is predicated on the fact that the first and second defendants have had transactions with the plaintiff before by paying the plaintiff the sum of N10.3billion, being 15 percent of remitted stamp duty.”
The plaintiff, represented by Dr. Alex Izinyon (SAN), had claimed that NIPOST appointed it to represent it (NIPOST) in the collection of N50 on all receipts given by any bank or financial institution in acknowledgement of services rendered concerning electronic transfers and teller deposits of N1,000 and above, in compliance with the Stamp Duties Act and the Nigeria Financial Regulations 2009.
He added that the terms of the agreement between NIPOST and the plaintiff included the remuneration of N7.50 from every N50 deduction.
Kasmal prayed the court for an order directing the 1st and 2nd Defendants to pay the plaintiff the sum of N579,130,698,440 or any other sum as may be adjudged by this Court upon the production of the records relating to the collection of stamp duty between January 1, 2015, and January 31, 2020, representing 15% of all accrued deposits paid into or which ought to have been paid into the CBN NIPOST Stamp Duty Collection Account No. 3000047517 by all Deposit Money Banks (DMBs).
“An order directing the 1st (CBN) and 2nd Defendants to pay the plaintiff an interest payment of 10% per annum on the sum of N579,130,698,440 or any other sum as may be adjudged by this Court upon the production of the records relating to the collection of stamp duty between January 1, 2015, and January 31, 2020, representing 15% of all accrued deposits paid into or which ought to have been paid into the CBN NIPOST Stamp Duty Collection Account No. 3000047517 by all Deposit Money Banks (DMBs).”