Ibadan – The controversy over the Federal Government’s intervention fund for victims of 2024 Ibadan explosion victims has not fizzled out.
On Thursday, the Oyo State government clarified that the N30 billion cash received by Governor Seyi Makinde is still being kept in the state’s special intervention account.
The Commissioner of Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, and his counterpart at the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Professor Musibau Babatunde, clarified in a statement that N50billion was requested from the Federal Government to mitigate the impact of the disaster.
They said the balance of N20billion was still being expected, adding that the N24.6 billion spent on the Bodija victims came from the purse of the state government.
Giving the analysis of how the money was spent, they explained that N20.141 billion was spent on the reconstruction of infrastructure in Bodija and environs and N4.085 billion paid as support and compensation to the victims.
Oyedele to Nigerians: No automatic bank debits under new tax laws
The chairman of the presidential committee on fiscal policy and tax reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, has said that the new tax reforms will not result in automatic debits from bank accounts.
Oyedele stated this on Channels Television’s end-of-year special on Tuesday, saying the tax authorities do not have the capacity to monitor every individual account, noting that enforcement is usually directed at high-income earners.
“Nobody will debit your account. Any amount of money you transfer, whether it is 1 billion, whether it is 1,000, it doesn’t matter how you describe it. Nobody will debit your bank account,” the chairman said.
He explained that the tax system will rely on self-declaration, with individuals stating their income at the end of the year and paying tax based on that declaration and said those exempted will only need to declare their status.
Federal lawmakers unveil Tax Laws
The implementation of new tax laws commenced yesterday on a clearer and more transparent footing.
The National Assembly directed the release of Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the harmonised bills that were transmitted by lawmakers and assented to by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
This move is aimed at ensuring full public access to the documents and allaying concerns about the authenticity of the recently passed Tax Acts.
The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, stated that interested members of the public would now be able to access the transmitted bills, which have been signed by President Tinubu, for independent verification.
In a statement, Ogunlana said the directive was in line with the Assembly’s commitment to transparency and accountability, particularly in response to public debate and scrutiny over the new tax reforms.
Police suspend tinted glass permit enforcement
The Nigeria Police Force has suspended the enforcement of the tinted glass permit policy nationwide following an interim order of court restraining the move.
It waa reported that the Force had, on December 15, 2025, announced the resumption of enforcement of the policy with effect from January 2, 2026, citing its responsibility for public safety and internal security.
However, in a statement signed by the Force PRO, Benjamin Hundeyin on Thursday, it said it was subsequently served with an interim order issued on December 17, 2025, in Suit No. HOR/FHR/M/31/2025, restraining it from proceeding with the enforcement pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit or the vacation of the order.
Akpabio withdraws all defamation suits after priest’s sermon
The Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has directed his lawyers to withdraw all ongoing defamation lawsuits against several individuals, saying he was moved by counsel during a New Year Mass.
Speaking at the Sacred Heart Parish in Uyo on Thursday, Akpabio said he had filed nearly nine lawsuits against individuals he accused of defaming him.
He said, “I had almost nine cases in court against some individuals who defamed me, who lied against me, who slandered my name.
“But I listened to the priest and suddenly realised he was talking to me, so I hereby direct my solicitor to withdraw all lawsuits against them.”
Riley Moore raises alarm over ISIS threats in Nigeria
A United States Congressman, Riley Moore, has raised alarm over reports of threats against Christians in Nigeria.
This is as he citied statements attributed to an Islamic State–affiliated group and calling the situation religious persecution.
In a post via his verified X handle on Thursday night, Moore said the debate over the motives behind attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria should be settled.
Convert to Islam or die — ISWAP burns down Christian village in Adamawa Nigeria
The Islamic State of West Africa Province, ISWAP, has continued to wreak havoc on Christian communities in the Northeast, Nigeria.
This comes as ISWAP burned down a Christian village in Adamawa State.
A security expert, Brant Philip, disclosed this on Thursday in a viral video released by the terrorists.
The move is perceived as retaliation for recent joint airstrikes by the Nigerian and United States military against a terrorist enclave in Sokoto, Nigeria.
Peter Obi officially dumps LP, joins ADC
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has formally defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Obi announced his decision on Wednesday at an event held at the Nike Lake Resort in Enugu, drawing key political figures and party leaders.
The event was attended by several stakeholders, including the national chairman of the ADC, David Mark.
The defection comes a day after Abia State Governor Alex Otti dismissed reports suggesting he plans to defect from the Labour Party alongside Obi.
Otti clarified his position on Tuesday during his monthly media briefing in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, amid speculations over possible defections within the party.
2027: You’ll lose my support If you run as VP — Pat Utomi tells Obi
Political economist, Prof. Pat Utomi, has warned that he would withdraw his support for the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi if he decides to run as a vice-presidential candidate in the 2027 general election.
Utomi made the statement on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, where he expressed confidence that the former Anambra State governor would contest the presidency in 2027 following his formal defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Wednesday.
He was reacting to a claim by the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, that Obi had already agreed to run as vice-presidential candidate to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on the ADC platform in 2027, a claim Utomi firmly rejected.
Atiku slams govt over economy, insecurity, vows change in 2027
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has sharply criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration over the economy, insecurity and governance, accusing it of incompetence, lawlessness and political intimidation.
In a New Year message released on Thursday, Atiku said 2025 was one of the most “punishing” years in Nigeria’s recent history, blaming what he described as economic mismanagement and governance without empathy under the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government.
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party said the country endured “economic suffocation, political recklessness and policy bankruptcy,” alleging that the Tinubu administration governed for months without a functional budget while relying on propaganda and excessive borrowing.
According to him, the controversy surrounding a disputed tax law best reflected what he called the decay of the current administration
AFCON: Mozambique players get fat bonuses to beat Nigeria
Mozambique’s team has been offered a special bonus of 500,000 meticais, which is around 11.3 million naira, should they beat Nigeria in the round of sixteen of the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
President Daniel Francisco Chapo made the offer as he praised the Mambas for making it to the round of 16 in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The Mambas will play Nigeria after finishing third in Group F, even though they lost 2-1 to Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions in their last group game.
The country’s Head of State sent a message to the players and coaching team and praised their performance during the group stage of the tournament.
The President called their achievement remarkable and worthy of recognition, saying it made the whole country proud.
‘We were deceived’ — Rivers PDP chair blasts Fubara over defection to APC
A Factional Caretaker Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party in Rivers State, Dr. Nname Ewor, has lamented that the State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, deceived them into believing that he was capable of wresting political control from the FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, only to dump the PDP in the middle of a political sea.
Ewor also said rather than follow the path of peace after the end of the emergency rule, so as to ensure smooth running of government, the Governor was boasting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not only force the State House of Assembly members to pass the budget, but he will also force Wike to work for his (Fubara) reelection.
The PDP Chairman, who addressed journalists in Port Harcourt on Thursday, also demanded that the Rivers people should be aware of the full content of the agreement reached before the emergency rule was lifted by the President.
