JUST IN: State Attorneys General Sue Attorney-General Of Federation Malami Over Non-Remittance Of N176B From Stamp Duties

 

Attorneys general from Nigeria's 36 states have sued Abubakar Malami, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, for failing to remit stamp duty funds generated by the states.

According to the People's Gazette, attorneys sued Malami because funds produced from stamp duties are not deposited into the state's account.

They said Malami has no right to withhold stamp duty from states or individuals.

Therefore, they called on the court to order Malami to pay N176 billion for the backlog of stamp duties collected between 2015 and 2020.

The statement reads;

“An order of this honourable court directing the defendant to pay over to the plaintiffs all the sum of monies amounting to one hundred and seventy-six billion, sixty-seven million, four hundred thousand Naira (N176,067,400,000,00) representing ascertained and admitted collected stamp duties on individual persons’ transactions within their respective states for the period of 2015 and 2020, and thereafter till the time of the judgment of this honourable court or any other sum as the plaintiffs may be found entitled by the honourable court.

"We, therefore, sought an order of perpetual injunction, 'restraining the defendant by himself, privies, agents, or any persons by whatever name or howsoever called from appointing anyone for the purpose of collecting Stamp Duties on individual persons’ transactions within the respective states of the plaintiffs henceforth.

“A declaration that the defendant is not entitled to collect, administer, or keep the proceeds of any stamp duties on transactions involving individuals within the respective states of the plaintiffs or any manner interfere with the plaintiff’s right and authority in the administering the provision of Section 4(2) of the Stamp Duties Act Cap. S8 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.”

The state's attorney's general also demanded a declaration that; 

“the plaintiffs are entitled to 85% of all stamp duties collected on electronic money transfer levy, on electronic receipts or electronic transfers for money deposited in any financial institutions, or on any type of account to be accounted for and received by the person to whom the transfer or deposit is made in the plaintiffs’ respective states.”