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House softens stance on Tax Reform Bills

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The House of Representatives has softened its stance on the Tax Reform Bills.

Yesterday, after a three-hour generally positive debate by members, the Bills scaled second reading and passed for public hearing.

This is unlike the situation when the Bills were sent by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the Green Chamber in October.

Following opposition from a section of the ruling class, the House exploded in uproar over the Bills, forcing Speaker Abbas Tajudeen to dissolve the House into and Executive session after which all issues on the Bills were kept in ambiance to allow for consultations.

But at the Senate, the Bills were quickly debated and moved to the public hearing stage.

The Bills are the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, the Nigeria Tax Bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill.

The bills were consolidated into one at the House for a seamless debate.

The proposed laws were read for the first time on October 8 but debate by the House was put on hold due to disagreement on the content of the bill, especially by Northern leaders and the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF).

Although the House engaged government officials on the benefits of the bills, Speaker Tajudeen asked members to engage in wide consultations with their constituents to pave the way for a robust debate.

Apart from some observations on certain areas of the bills that appeared not in tandem with some sections of the 1999 Constitution and a few other clauses, members unanimously okayed the bills for a second reading.

Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda said while opposition members supported the spirit behind the bills, some had issues with certain aspects.

Chinda noted that the bills seek to rejig the nation’s tax system for effective revenue generation. He pointed out that for every law, there must be the spirit of the letters.

He said: “We have all agreed that the spirit behind the four bills is good.‘’

But we have issues with some of the letters of the bills. Why we oppose some letters of the bills, we support the spirit and want to assure Nigerians that we will watch those letters and at the appropriate time, we will ensure that the letters are corrected in the interest of Nigerians.

“He advocated a reduction in the Value Added Tax(VAT), saying ‘’It is possible to reduce tax, while efforts should be made to tidy up all areas of conflicts..’’

House Leader Julius Ihonvbere thereafter set the tone for the debate by explaining that the bills were intended to overhaul the country’s outdated tax laws.

Ihonvbere reassured the public that the reforms would benefit ordinary Nigerians without imposing tax burdens on the poor.

While appreciating those who hold opposing views to the bills, he said their views helped strengthen the bills.

The House leader charged members to “be part of history in reforming the tax system to promote revenue growth, increase employment and better the life of ordinary Nigerians.

Minority Whip, Ali Isa commended Speaker Abass for creating an opportunity for members to engage and consult widely on the contentious parts of the bills.

Isa however expressed concern about clause 146 which encourages a gradual increase in VAT from 7.5 percent to 10 percent and later 15 percent.

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UK court jails Nigerian man for masturbating in front of a woman

British Transport Police said Odutola approached a woman on the train, looked her up and down and became aggressive when she refused to engage with him. He then exposed himself while sitting in a wheelchair and began masturbating while staring at the woman and telling her to “come over”

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•A Nigerian man and registered sex offender, Babatunde Odutola

A Nigerian man and registered sex offender, Babatunde Odutola has been jailed in the UK after exposing himself and masturbating in front of a woman on a train travelling towards Manchester.

Odutola, 36, of no fixed address, was sentenced to 44 weeks in prison at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Monday, September 14, after pleading guilty to outraging public decency and breaching a suspended sentence order.

The incident occurred around 7pm on Friday, September 11, on a train travelling through Cheshire towards Manchester Piccadilly railway station.

British Transport Police said Odutola approached a woman on the train, looked her up and down and became aggressive when she refused to engage with him. He then exposed himself while sitting in a wheelchair and began masturbating while staring at the woman and telling her to “come over”.

A fellow passenger intervened and escorted the distressed woman from the carriage.

According to police, CCTV footage showed Odutola continued masturbating as other passengers walked through the carriage.

British Transport Police officers arrested him after the train arrived at Manchester Piccadilly. He was subsequently prosecuted and jailed within 72 hours of the incident

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Digital Economy Minister Says NDPC Now Properly Functional With New HQ

” An asset recovered on behalf of the Nigerian people has now been returned to productive use for the Nigerian people. That is reform made tangible,” he said .

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Abuja| NDPC new headquarters commission , Tuesday, 15 September,2026.

An EFCC-recovered property allocated to the Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, has been transformed to the new headquarters of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) in Abuja, as its headquarters.

Speaking during the commissioned ceremony of the building, the Honourable Minister incharge of the ministry, Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, described the facility as a tangible demonstration of the visionary leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his commitment to building strong institutions that can support Nigeria’s growing digital economy.

The Minister emphasised that said the occasion represented more than the opening of a new office, but a reflection of the administration’s commitment to strengthening the institutions required to protect Nigerians and build trust in the country’s digital economy.

Dr. Tijani said, “Shortly after assuming office in 2023, President Tinubu signed the Nigeria Data Protection Act into law, giving the NDPC the appropriate legal foundation and authority to protect the data and privacy rights of Nigerians.

The President also directed Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government to comply with established data protection laws and frameworks, demonstrating that government must lead by example in upholding the standards it expects from citizens and businesses.”

He added, “In the early days of the Commission, it was difficult to ask an institution to protect the data of over 200 million Nigerians and support one of Africa’s largest digital economies without the institutional resources to do so.

President Tinubu recognised this challenge and moved to solve it, approving the resources required for the NDPC to become properly operational and functional, while building towards becoming a sustainable institution in its own right.

He also directed that an EFCC-recovered property be allocated to the Commission as its headquarters.

“An asset recovered on behalf of the Nigerian people has now been returned to productive use for the Nigerian people. That is reform made tangible,” he said .

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Boko Haram Denies Ceasefire with FG, Vows Continued Attacks

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Boko Haram has strongly denied reports of a ceasefire agreement with the Federal Government and insisted that it will continue its campaign of attacks.

In a statement released by the group, the militants dismissed claims of any truce or negotiated pause in hostilities, describing such reports as false and misleading.

The group reaffirmed its commitment to ongoing operations against government forces and other targets, vowing that its attacks will persist without interruption.

The denial comes against the backdrop of persistent insecurity in the northeast and other affected regions, where the group has maintained a long-standing insurgency.

Security sources note that the latest statement appears aimed at clarifying the group’s position and rejecting any suggestion of dialogue or de-escalation with the authorities.

Military and government officials have not issued an immediate detailed response to the claim, though security operations against the militants remain active. Authorities continue to urge vigilance as the group signals its intention to sustain violence.

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