The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on Nigerians to reject what it described as distorted and falsified tax laws, warning that flawed fiscal policies undermine public trust and worsen economic hardship.

The call was made by the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, in his 2025 Christmas message to Nigerians, where he stressed the need for inclusivity, transparency, and fairness in tax policy formulation.

Ajaero said any tax system tainted by distortion or alleged forgery lacks legitimacy and should not be accepted by the public.

He urged Nigerians to insist on tax justice, noting that a fair tax regime must ensure the wealthy pay their fair share while regressive taxes that burden ordinary citizens are eliminated.

According to him, sustainable economic reform cannot be achieved through hurried legislation driven by political interests, but through carefully crafted laws that enjoy broad public ownership.

He added that workers’ rights must be protected and that all citizens should have access to quality healthcare, education, and security as part of a just social contract.

Ajaero called on Nigerians to remain united in demanding equitable governance and reaffirmed the NLC’s commitment to mobilising workers against policies that deepen poverty and inequality.

The NLC’s position follows recent concerns raised by a member of the House of Representatives, Abdulsamad Dasuki, who alleged discrepancies between tax laws passed by the National Assembly and the versions later gazetted by the executive.

Dasuki claimed that the content of the gazetted laws differed from what lawmakers debated and approved, describing the situation as a breach of legislative procedure.

President Bola Tinubu had on June 26, 2025, signed four major tax reform bills into law.

The laws include the Nigeria Tax Act, the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act, collectively known as the Nigerian Tax Reform Acts.

The reforms are aimed at modernising Nigeria’s tax system, expanding the tax base, and improving revenue efficiency, including replacing the Federal Inland Revenue Service with the Nigeria Revenue Service.

However, the reforms have faced growing resistance amid allegations of forgery and concerns over their economic impact.

The House of Representatives has since set up a committee to investigate the claims, while civil society organisations and some state governors have raised objections over possible revenue-sharing and cost-of-living implications.

Two persons lost their lives on Christmas Day following a diesel tanker explosion along the Oto-Ijanikin axis of the Badagry Expressway in Lagos.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) said the incident occurred in the early hours of the day near the Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), inward Agbara.

According to LASTMA, the explosion involved a Mack truck conveying diesel.

Preliminary investigations indicated that the tanker driver was speeding and lost control of the vehicle while attempting to overtake another road user.

The tanker subsequently crashed and burst into flames, trapping the driver and an adult female occupant, who both died at the scene.

LASTMA officials monitoring traffic in the area immediately secured and cordoned off the affected section of the expressway to prevent further incidents.

Emergency responders, including the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service (Ojo Unit), the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and officers of the Ijanikin Police Division, were promptly alerted.

The agency also prevented members of the public from scooping the spilled diesel, a move that averted a potential escalation of the tragedy before the arrival of other emergency agencies.

After the fire was brought under control, the burnt tanker was evacuated from the road by LASTMA personnel to restore traffic flow, while FRSC officials removed the remains of the victims.

Reacting to the incident, LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed deep sorrow and commiserated with the families of the deceased, describing the incident as painful and avoidable, especially during the festive season.

He reiterated the authority’s commitment to road safety and urged tanker and articulated vehicle drivers to adhere strictly to speed limits and traffic regulations, warning that reckless driving remains a leading cause of fatal crashes in Lagos.

Bakare-Oki also cautioned members of the public against the dangerous practice of scooping petroleum products from accident scenes, noting that such actions pose serious risks to lives and property.

Senior Pastor of the Mountain of Liberation and Miracle Ministries, Dr. Chris Okafor, has demanded that a woman, Ms Chi Okafor, who claims to be his biological daughter, submit herself to a DNA test to substantiate her allegation.

Speaking through his lawyer, Maxwell Opara, at a press conference in Owerri on Wednesday, the cleric denied the paternity claim, describing it as false, defamatory, and damaging to his reputation.

Dr. Okafor also demanded an immediate retraction of all publications linking him to the alleged daughter, as well as a public apology, warning that failure to comply would result in legal action.

According to the lawyer, the pastor maintains that neither Ms Chi Okafor nor her sibling is his biological child, insisting that both were products of infidelity by his estranged wife.

Barrister Opara said the publications attributed to the claimant amounted to cyber incitement, cyberbullying, cyber harassment, cyberstalking, criminal defamation, and malicious impersonation.

“Any assertion suggesting that our client abandoned a spouse or children is false, misleading, and defamatory,” the lawyer said.

He added that the claimant had been presenting herself on social media as Dr. Okafor’s daughter while making allegations of abandonment and neglect, which he described as a gross misrepresentation of facts.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the continued public portrayal of Ms Chi Okafor and her sibling as children of our client, and the publication of statements alleging abandonment, amount to libel and are wholly unacceptable,” Opara stated.

The lawyer formally demanded the immediate retraction of all defamatory statements, the publication of a written apology in two national newspapers, and the removal of all online content linking the pastor to the paternity claim.

He further challenged the claimant to submit herself and her sibling for a DNA test at a mutually agreed and reputable medical facility, noting that no valid DNA report had been presented to support her claims.

Opara warned that failure to comply with these demands would compel the pastor to pursue all available legal remedies to protect his reputation, integrity, and ministry.

Dr. Okafor also cautioned social media personalities, including Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, as well as actress Doris Ogala and others, to desist from amplifying what he described as falsehoods against him.

The Executive Chairman of Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State, Hon. John Ogbodo, has felicitated with Christians across the council area on the occasion of Christmas, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to peace, unity, and grassroots development.

In his Christmas goodwill message to residents of Nkanu West on Wednesday, the chairman said that since assuming office in 2024, his administration has remained steadfast in promoting security, unity and stability across the LGA.

Hon. Ogbodo described Christmas as a season that calls for reflection on the virtues of love, sacrifice, humility and peaceful coexistence, urging residents to embrace these values in their daily interactions.

He commended the people of Nkanu West for their support and cooperation, noting that such collective commitment has contributed to the relative peace and progress recorded in the area.

The council chairman also pledged to continue prioritising policies and programmes that would enhance social welfare, youth empowerment, and infrastructural development at the grassroots level.

While urging residents to celebrate responsibly during the festive season, Hon. Ogbodo appealed for sustained vigilance and cooperation with security agencies to ensure a peaceful holiday period.

He concluded by wishing the people of Nkanu West a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year, expressing optimism that the coming year would usher in greater development and improved living conditions across the local government area.

The Nigerian Army has confirmed that a recent explosion at a mosque in Gamboru Market, Maiduguri, Borno State, was caused by a suicide bomber.

According to a statement by Lt. Col. Sani Uba, spokesman for the Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) Theatre Command, the attack occurred around 6:00 pm on Tuesday, 24 December 2025.

Preliminary investigations indicate that a suspected Boko Haram Terrorist detonated an improvised explosive device, killing himself and two civilians on the scene.

Lt. Col. Uba said security forces, working alongside the Nigeria Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team, other sister agencies, the Borno State Government, and NEMA, promptly responded, cordoned off the area, and secured the site to prevent further harm.

A total of 32 civilians sustained various injuries, with two later confirmed dead at the hospital.

Two others remain in critical condition, while the rest are stable and receiving medical attention at Maiduguri General Hospital and the Teaching Hospital.

The Army assured residents that enhanced surveillance and security measures have been implemented across Maiduguri and surrounding areas to safeguard the public, particularly during the festive season.

Suspected terrorists attacked personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Wawa, Borgu Local Government Area, Niger State, in the early hours of Wednesday, the corps has confirmed.

NSCDC State Commandant, Suberu Siyaka-Aniviye, briefed journalists in Minna, assuring that no lives were lost in the attack.

He said the assailants, who came in large numbers shortly after midnight, were prevented from operating freely due to the alertness and swift response of officers on duty.

“The attackers used torchlights to identify approaching persons before opening fire. Our men manoeuvred and took cover, but the attackers fired sporadically because they had several weapons,” Mr Siyaka-Aniviye said.

During the incident, personnel had to abandon their operational vehicle while seeking safety.

The attackers, mistakenly believing the officers were still inside, riddled the vehicle with bullets, shattering its windscreen and puncturing all four tyres.

The vehicle was later repaired and returned to NSCDC headquarters in Minna.

The commandant revealed that the assailants looted personal belongings, including clothes, mobile phones, and other gadgets, and stole one rifle during the encounter.

Despite the attack, no officer was killed, and only minor injuries were reported.

In response, the Commandant-General of the NSCDC, Ahmed Audi, deployed a tactical team to Niger State to comb the area and reinforce security.

Preliminary findings suggest the terrorists may have been moving between hideouts in the state.

“All personnel involved have been accounted for and are safe,” Mr Siyaka-Aniviye stated.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Niger State has been a frequent target of armed groups, some linked to transnational terrorist organisations such as Boko Haram and Al-Qaeda.

The state recently witnessed the mass abduction of over 300 students and staff from a Catholic school, all of whom were freed after a month in captivity.

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to produce the Bauchi State Commissioner for Finance, Yakubu Adamu, for arraignment on December 30 over alleged money laundering offences.

Justice Emeka Nwite issued the directive on Wednesday following the EFCC’s failure, for the second time, to present Mr Adamu in court to answer a six-count charge involving about N4.6 billion.

Mr Adamu, a former branch manager of Polaris Bank, was initially scheduled for arraignment earlier in the week, but proceedings stalled after both the prosecution and defendants failed to appear.

At the resumed hearing, EFCC counsel Samuel Chime apologised to the court, explaining that the commission intended to amend the charge to include additional suspects.

He said the suspects had indicated willingness to honour EFCC invitations and requested an extension of the remand order to enable a joint arraignment on December 30.

However, the request was strongly opposed by defence counsel Gordy Uche, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who accused the prosecution of acting in bad faith.

He argued that the existing charge was ripe for arraignment and revealed that the EFCC had already responded to a bail application without suggesting that investigations were ongoing or that new suspects were being sought.

Mr Uche further drew attention to the broader consequences of the commissioner’s continued detention, stating that over 60,000 Bauchi State workers had been unable to receive their salaries since his arrest.

He urged the court to compel the EFCC to produce the defendant immediately.

In response, the EFCC maintained that investigations had been concluded and insisted that the request was solely to ensure a uniform arraignment of all defendants.

Justice Nwite, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the conduct of the prosecution, questioning why charges were filed when the EFCC was not prepared to proceed.

He described the commission’s actions as unprofessional and unfair, warning that failure to present the defendant at the next sitting would attract sanctions.

He subsequently fixed December 30 for the arraignment.

According to the EFCC, Mr Adamu allegedly conspired between June and December 2023 with Ishaku Mohammed Aliyu, Managing Director of Makayye Investment Resources Ltd, and Muntaka Mohammed Duguri, both currently at large, to launder about N4.65 billion.

The commission alleged that the funds were released under the pretext of financing motorcycle purchases for the Bauchi State Government through Emmanuel Asomugha General Enterprises, despite the motorcycles never being supplied.

The charges also include allegations of retaining and transferring proceeds of unlawful activities through third parties, including the transfer of N165.9 million to Ayab Agro Products and Freight Company Ltd.

The EFCC said the alleged offences contravene provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.