Crime

Imo Lawyers, judiciary workers suspend court sittings over alleged abduction of colleague

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5 years ago

March 23, 2021

Inside the Resurgence of School Abductions Across Nigeria

Lawyers and judiciary workers in Imo suspended court sitting on Tuesday to protest against the kidnap of a lawyer Barr. Chima Awurum.

Awurum was kidnapped by gunmen last Friday Mbano/Etiti, Imo.

Secretary of the Imo branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chinedu Agu, said in a memorandum on Tuesday that there must be strict compliance with the directive to down tools.

Agu said that the request to suspend court sitting was approved by the Acting Chief Judge on the state, Ijeoma Oguguo and signed by the Chief Registrar, C.N Okereke

The memorandum read: the Office of the Chief Registrar, High Court of Imo State has declared that in solidarity with the Mbano/Etiti Branch of the NBA the High Courts and Magistrates Courts will not sit on Tuesday.’’

Meanwhile, some litigants were seen at court premises looking frustrated over the sudden development.

A litigant, Mr Kingsley Anyawu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that his case had lingered due to long adjournments and courts boycott.

Anyawu condemned the kidnap of the lawyer and appealed to security agencies to find lasting solution to insecurity in the state.

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Rising Tensions Between Regulators and Airlines The financial strain has coincided with renewed friction between the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), following disputes over the remittance of statutory charges and the delivery of regulatory services. Operators say the situation reflects deeper systemic liquidity stress across the sector, where airlines are increasingly unable to meet overlapping obligations imposed by aviation agencies while maintaining operational stability. A Layered and Fragmented Tax System At the centre of industry complaints is what operators describe as a “multi-layered and excessive” taxation structure involving the NCAA, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA). Airlines such as Air Peace, Ibom Air, and United Nigeria Airlines are subject to a range of compulsory charges, including the 5% ticket levy, passenger service charges, value-added tax on tickets and aviation inputs, and other operational deductions collected at different stages of the value chain. Industry players argue that the system creates cash flow distortions because several charges are collected upfront or deducted at source, leaving airlines with reduced working capital for day-to-day operations. Beyond ticket-based deductions, carriers also face landing fees, parking charges, overflight fees, navigation levies, and ground handling costs. Combined with jet fuel, which accounts for a significant share of total operating expenses, analysts say profitability on many domestic routes has been severely constrained. 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Imo Lawyers, judiciary workers suspend court sittings over alleged abduction of colleague

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Imo Lawyers, judiciary workers suspend court sittings over alleged abduction of colleague

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