General
Lawmakers Decry Poor Quality of Work at Baro Inland Port
By Adedapo Adesanya
The House of Representatives Ad hoc Committee on the Rehabilitation and Operationalisation of Baro Inland Port has decried the poor quality of work done at the facility.
Mr Idris Wase, a Plateau State lawmaker, expressed the displeasure of the lawmakers at a courtesy visit to Governor Umaru Bago of Niger after an overnight visit to Baro Inland Port in the state.
The lawmaker said that the port project was only “commissioned on paper” by former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 despite the huge investments that have gone into the project.
“What we saw is a project that was merely commissioned on paper. It is unfortunate what has happened in the past, but as leaders we must take responsibility to change the narrative,” he said.
The lawmaker described port as a “gateway to Nigeria’s economy, saying that the neglect of the facility represented a wider national problem of infrastructure deficit.
He assured that the committee is determined to revive the port and to ensure its completion for equitable distribution of infrastructure across the country.
The lawmaker said the committee will work with the Nigerian Railway Corporation, and other relevant stakeholders to address outstanding challenges, including dredging and navigation corridors needed to make the port operational.
The Chairman of the committee, Mr Saidu Abdullahi, expressed deep concern over the deplorable state of roads leading to the multi-billion-naira project, describing it as a major impediment to the port’s functionality.
The lawmaker said that in spite of the enormous potential of port to boost trade, create jobs, and open up the economy, the absence of motorable access roads has left the facility largely idle years after its commissioning.
He said that a trip that should ordinarily take half an hour now stretches into four gruelling hours because of the failed portions of the road.
“We are committed to ensuring that this port does not remain a white elephant project. Our work here is to make sure that all the issues are laid bare.
“Government agencies responsible for roads, inland waterways, and transport rise to the challenge. We cannot afford to abandon such a strategic project,” he said.
Mr Bolawale Adetola, the General Manager of Business Development at the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA, ) expressed optimism that the port will soon become operational, provided critical challenges such as access roads and dredging are addressed.
He said the involvement of the National Assembly would help mobilise the needed funds, either through direct appropriation or private partnerships, to make the port fully functional.
“Everything that a port needs to work is on ground. The key challenges are the access road and the silted channel, which requires dredging. That is our own part in NIWA.
“Other stakeholders, including the Federal Ministry of Works and the Nigerian Railway Corporation, are also critical to the process. Once all these are in place, Baro Port will be of immense benefit to Nigerians,” he said.
Responding, the governor called for the urgent revival of the port, describing it as a national project that held the key to easing the heavy burden on Nigeria’s road infrastructure.
Mr Bago said that the inland port, conceived by Nigeria’s founding fathers was once central to the Northern Africa Trade Corridor.
According to him, it was strategically linked to the Lagos–Kano–Jibia rail line, which was originally designed to service Baro.
“Since I became governor, we have been working towards the realisation of the Baro Port project. This is not a Niger project, and not even a northern project. It is a Nigerian project,” he said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has fixed January 7 to hear the bail application of former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, over alleged money laundering.
Recall that the same court had ordered the remand of Mr Malami at the Kuje Correctional Centre.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria, his son, Abdulaziz, and one of his wives, Mrs Bashir Asabe, are standing trial predicated on a 16-count charge preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The trio, who are accused of laundering N8.7 billion, pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were arraigned on December 29, 2025.
Following their plea of not guilty, Justice Emeka Nwite ordered their remand at Kuje Correctional Centre till January 2, 2026, when their written bail application would be argued by his legal team.
In the charge, identified as FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025, the defendants were accused of conspiring to conceal, disguise, and retain proceeds from illegal activities.
The indictment claimed that they used multiple bank accounts, corporate entities, and high-value real estate transactions over nearly ten years to indirectly acquire the illicit funds.
According to the charge sheet, the alleged offences took place between 2015 and 2025, primarily within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, during Malami’s time as the country’s Attorney-General.
The EFCC alleged that Malami and his son used Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to hide N1.014 billion in a Sterling Bank account from July 2022 to June 2025.
They were also accused of depositing an additional N600.01 million between September 2020 and February 2021.
The properties in question include a luxury duplex on Amazon Street, Maitama, purchased for N500 million; a property on Onitsha Crescent, Garki, bought for N700 million; and another in Jabi District for N850 million.
Additional acquisitions include real estate on Rhine Street, Maitama (N430 million); in Asokoro District (N210 million and N325 million); and at Efab Estate, Gwarimpa (N120 million).
The EFCC further alleges that Mr Malami used unlawful proceeds totaling N952 million to acquire multiple properties in Abuja, Kano, and Birnin Kebbi between 2018 and 2023.
The acquisitions were allegedly made through proxies and corporate entities to obscure ownership.
The commission claimed that the alleged actions violate the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Association of Plant Operators (NAPO) has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate allegations of tax deduction and non-remittance fraud linked to the NLNG Train 7 project.
Train 7 is a major expansion project of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) facility on Bonny Island, Rivers State, Nigeria. It involves building a seventh “train” (processing unit) at the LNG plant to significantly increase Nigeria’s LNG production capacity and strengthen the country’s role as a global supplier of cleaner energy.
NAPO’s President General, Mr Harold Benstowe, alongside four other officials, appeared at the EFCC Port Harcourt Zonal Office in Port Harcourt, to adopt a petition accusing Daewoo Engineering & Construction Nigeria and others of alleged unlawful tax deductions from workers on the multibillion-dollar NLNG Train 7 gas plant construction project.
According to NAPO, the EFCC received the delegation and guided them through the formal adoption of the petition, paving the way for what the union described as a “proper forensic investigation” into the alleged financial misconduct.
“The EFCC has assured the victims that it will conduct a thorough investigation to get to the root of the matter,” Mr Benstowe said, describing the development as a major step toward accountability in the construction segment of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
It also raised that the allegations strike at the heart of compliance risks surrounding one of Nigeria’s most strategic gas investments, with potential implications for contractors, regulators and investor confidence in large-scale energy projects.
Mr Benstowe called on workers involved in the NLNG Train 7 project to actively support the investigation by submitting documentary evidence, particularly payslips allegedly showing tax deductions by Daewoo E&C Nigeria.
“We encourage all affected workers to freely come forward with more evidence to assist the EFCC in carrying out a comprehensive investigation,” he said.
He also dismissed reports of intimidation, warning that the union would resist any attempts to suppress whistleblowers.
“All victims should ignore threats or discouragement from any quarters. This is no longer business as usual. We are prepared for a big showdown to ensure everyone involved is brought to book,” Mr Benstowe declared.
The NAPO leader framed the petition as part of a broader struggle for financial transparency and workers’ rights in Nigeria’s oil and gas construction value chain, stressing that the outcome would send a strong signal to contractors operating on high-value energy projects.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) has unveiled its institutional brand identity as it officially transition from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to the newly established revenue collection agency as gazetted.
The transition was marked with the unveiling of the agency’s new logo, according to a statement from Mr Dare Adekanmbi, special adviser to the chairman of NRS, Mr Zacch Adedeji.
Speaking at the unveiling event in Abuja on Wednesday, Mr Adedeji said the new identity represents a significant milestone in the evolution of Nigeria’s revenue administration framework.
The taxman said the unveiling reflects a renewed commitment to a more unified, efficient, and service-oriented revenue system aligned with Nigeria’s economic transformation agenda and global best practices.
He said the new identity signals continuity of purpose, strengthened institutional capacity, and a forward-looking approach to supporting taxpayers and national development.
According to the statement, the NRS said it remains committed to transparency, partnership, and service excellence.
“The unveiling of this new identity represents not an end, but the beginning of a strengthened relationship between the revenue authority and the Nigerian public—built on trust, clarity, and shared prosperity,” the statement reads.
It was also stated that the service came into operation following the signing of its enabling law — the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Act 2025 — by President Bola Tinubu in June.
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