Nigeria, Dec. 8 -- Nearly one year after Nigeria's interior ministry increased the Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Alien Card (CERPAC) fee, a federal court in Lagos has nullified the review.

The cancellation followed a suit by the lawyer, Femi Falana.

In the ruling delivered in November but just obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, the judge, Rilwanu Aikawa of the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court, also declared as unconstitutional the contract between the interior ministry and Continental Transfert Technique Ltd, or Contec, for the collection of the CERPAC fee.

Mr Aikama ruled that only the Nigeria Immigration Service is lawfully empowered to collect such fees.

"While Section 102 of the Immigration Act provides for private sect...