Court Summons Dino Melaye Over Alleged ₦509m Tax Evasion
A Magistrate Court in Abuja has summoned former senator and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Dino Melaye, to answer to allegations of tax evasion running into more than ₦509 million.
The summons, issued on August 21, directs Melaye to appear before the court on September 5, 2025, over claims brought forward by the Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS).
According to documents filed in court, the agency accuses the former lawmaker of gross underpayment of personal income taxes for several years, despite having declared higher earnings.
Details of the case show discrepancies between taxes paid and Melaye’s declared incomes. For instance, in 2019, he reportedly paid ₦85,000 in taxes against a declared income of about ₦1.26 million. In 2020, he paid ₦100,000 while declaring ₦1.38 million; in 2021, he paid ₦120,000 for an income of ₦1.55 million; and in 2022, ₦1 million for an income of ₦6.54 million.
The tax authority said matters escalated with his 2023 and 2024 filings. An administrative assessment notice was issued on May 23, 2025, but Melaye allegedly failed to respond. Consequently, the FCT-IRS invoked Section 54(3) of the Personal Income Tax Act and issued what it described as a “Best of Judgment Assessment” on June 23, 2025. That assessment pegged Melaye’s outstanding liability at ₦234.9 million for 2023 and ₦274.7 million for 2024, bringing the total to ₦509.6 million.
Attempts to personally serve him with the notices reportedly proved unsuccessful. Officials later pasted the documents on the gate of his Maitama residence on July 9, 2025. Under Section 41 of the Personal Income Tax Act, individuals are required to file annual tax returns, and failure to do so attracts penalties, including criminal prosecution.
Melaye, who once represented Kogi West in the Senate and also served in the House of Representatives, was the PDP’s candidate in the November 2023 Kogi governorship election. He lost that contest to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The case is expected to open on September 5, when he will formally respond to the allegations before the Magistrate Court in Wuse Zone II, Abuja.
