FROM UTHMAN BABA- SIRAJDEEN
The Niger State Internal Revenue Service (NIRS), has instituted a case against Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) over non payment of four hundred and sixty- eight milion naira two hundred twelve thousand, nine hundred and eighty- nine.( N468,212 989.90 milion as tax
NIRS claims the amount is tax liability due to the state as well as other outstanding returns in respect of statutory tax audit, payee, business premises registration and renewal fee, environment fee.
Others are development levy and ground rents from the period of 2019-2022 2017-2023 respectively.
According to the originating process filled in the Minna High court, the plaintiff’s claim against the defendant is for a declaration that the plaintiff, being an agency of the Niger State goverment saddled with the statutory objective of administering, control and consolidate the various taxes,non- tax revenues and to account for all such taxes and non- tax revenues and to account for all such revenue Collected.
Equally, the plaintiff demanded the court to order the defendant to account for all such taxes and non- tax revenues collected in Niger State, is responsible to demand from the deffendants all the statutory tax,audit, on payee, withholding tax, business premises, registration and renewal fee, environment fee, development levy and ground rents due and outstanding with respect to all lands, buildings and structures in Niger State now held, being used and operated by the deffendants in Niger State for the period 2017-2022
In a suit number, NSHC/ MN/ 58/2024 filed at the Minna High court number three by a Minna based legal practitioner Mohammed Ndayako SAN sought for the court an order directing the deffendant to pay to the plaintiff interest on the Judgement sum at the rate of ten percent per annum till the same is fully liquidated.
Mohammed Ndayako SAN also demanded for the deffendant to pay the plaintiff the cost of ” this litigatio as may be assessed by this honourable court”
When the case came up for mention Tuesday, the cousel to the deffendant was not in court, just as the court was told that they were not served with hearing notice that the case was slated for mention Tuesday.
The originating process was however served on them informing the counsel to the deffendant that the case has been adjougned to 27 May 2024, for further mention.
At this point, Justice Marya Ismail then adjougned the case to 27 May 2024 for further mention with an order for the service of originating process on the defendant.
