A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Magistrate Court has summoned former Kogi West Senator Dino Melaye over allegations of failing to pay Personal Income Tax for 2023 and 2024 and under-declaring income in previous years.
The criminal summons, dated August 21, 2025, requires Melaye to appear at the Wuse Zone II court in Abuja on September 5, 2025, according to Daily Post.
The FCT Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS) claims Melaye significantly underpaid his tax obligations despite declaring substantially higher incomes during the same periods. Records show he paid ₦85,000.08 in 2019, ₦100,000.08 in 2020, ₦120,000 in 2021, and ₦1,000,000 in 2022, while declaring, for instance, an annual income of over ₦6.5 million in 2022.
An administrative assessment for 2023 and 2024 was issued on May 23, 2025, but after Melaye failed to respond within 30 days, the FCT-IRS issued a Best of Judgment Assessment on June 23, 2025. The notice, later posted at his Maitama residence on July 9, 2025, pegged his tax liabilities at ₦234,896,000 for 2023 and ₦274,712,000 for 2024.
The FCT-IRS warned that unless Melaye raises a valid objection within 30 days or clears the liabilities, the assessment will become final, paving the way for full recovery proceedings.
The agency also flagged under-declaration and underpayment issues for 2020, 2021, and 2022, with fresh notices expected after concluding its review.
Melaye, who previously represented Kogi West in the Senate and served in the House of Representatives, chaired the Senate Committees on FCT and Aviation. He was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the November 2023 Kogi State election, where he lost to Usman Ododo of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
