In a landmark decision, Justice Obiora Egwuatu has granted bail to 67 minors arrested during the August 2024 “End Bad Governance” protests.

The minors, all under 15 years old, were among 76 young protesters arraigned for allegedly participating in nationwide demonstrations spurred by economic hardship.

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Bail was set at N10 million for each minor, with the requirement of one civil servant as a surety.

The protests, which ran from August 1 to 10, saw citizens in multiple cities—including Abuja, Kaduna, Gombe, Jos, Katsina, and Kano—demanding government reforms and relief from economic struggles.

The 76 detained minors and young adults were part of larger demonstrations that swept across the country, sparking widespread debate on governance, accountability, and economic justice.

In addition to the minors, another 87 adult protesters, predominantly from Kaduna State, are currently being arraigned on severe charges including treason and conspiracy to commit a felony with intent to destabilize Nigeria. The charges, according to court records, fall under Sections 96 and 97 of the Penal Code, which deal with treasonable offenses. If convicted, the penalties could be severe.

Inside the courtroom, the young defendants appeared frail, with several looking visibly malnourished. Four minors, reportedly too weak to stand, had to be assisted out of the courtroom for medical attention, underscoring the difficult conditions they’ve faced since their detention.

This case highlights both the scale of frustration within Nigeria and the complex response by authorities. With economic conditions at the heart of the protests, the fate of these young protesters is being closely watched as a barometer of how Nigeria’s judicial and political systems handle widespread calls for change.

The Nigerian Government has explained that proposed tax regime, particularly as it has to do with the Value Added Tax (VAT) is not skewed against the northern part of the country.

This was contained in statehouse statement on Thursday afternoon, by the Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), Bayo Onanuga on Thursday.

Onanuga wrote, “Governors of 19 Northern States of Nigeria, under the platform of the Northern Governors’ Forum, at their meeting on Monday, October 28, 2024, expressed their opposition to the new derivation-based model for Value-Added Tax (VAT) distribution in the new tax reform bills before the National Assembly.

“Chairman of the forum, Governor Muhammed Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, read the communiqué.

“The Northern Governors’ Forum meeting also had traditional rulers from the region, led by the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, in attendance.

“While we commend the Governors and traditional rulers for supporting President Bola Tinubu over the success recorded in addressing the country’s security challenges, we consider it necessary to address the misunderstandings and misgivings around the tax reform already embarked upon by the administration.

“President Tinubu and the Federal Executive Council recently endorsed new policy initiatives aimed at streamlining Nigeria’s tax administration processes, enhancing efficiency and eliminating redundancies across the nation’s tax operations.

“These reforms emerged after an extensive review of existing tax laws. The National Assembly is considering four executive bills designed to transform and modernise Nigeria’s tax landscape.

“First is the Nigeria Tax Bill, which aims to eliminate unintended multiple taxation and make Nigeria’s economy more competitive by simplifying tax obligations for businesses and individuals nationwide.

“Second, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill (NTAB) proposes new rules governing the administration of all taxes in the country. Its objective is to harmonise tax administrative processes across federal, state and local jurisdictions for ease of compliance for taxpayers in all parts of the country.

“Third, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill seeks to rename the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) as the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) to better reflect the mandate of the Service as the revenue agency for the entire federation, not just the Federal Government.

“Fourth, the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill proposes the creation of a Joint Revenue Board to replace the Joint Tax Board, covering federal and all states’ tax authorities.

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“The fourth bill also suggests establishing the Office of Tax Ombudsman under the Joint Revenue Board, which would serve as a complaint resolution body for taxpayers.

“It is instructive to note that these proposed laws will not increase the number of taxes currently in operation. Instead, they are designed to optimise and simplify existing tax frameworks.

“The tax rates or percentages will remain the same under these reforms, as they focus on ensuring a more equitable distribution of tax obligations without adding to the burden on Nigerians.

“The reforms will not lead to job losses. On the contrary, they are structured to stimulate new avenues for job creation by supporting a dynamic, growth-oriented economy.

“Importantly, these laws will not absorb or eliminate the duties of any existing department, agency, or ministry. Instead, they aim to harmonise revenue collection and administration across the federation to ensure efficiency and cooperation.

“At the moment, tax administration lacks coordination among federal, state, and local tax authorities, often resulting in overlapping responsibilities, confusion, and inefficiency. Without reform, this inefficiency will persist.

“The proposed laws aim to coordinate efforts between different tiers of government, resulting in better tax resource management and greater clarity for taxpayers.

“Under existing laws, taxes like Company Income Tax (CIT), Personal Income Tax (PIT), Capital Gains Tax (CGT), Petroleum Profits Tax (PPT), Tertiary Education Tax (TET), Value-Added Tax (VAT), and other taxing provisions in numerous laws are administered separately, with individual legislative frameworks.

“The proposed reforms seek to consolidate these multiple taxes, integrating CIT, PIT, CGT, VAT, PPT, and excise duties into a unified structure to reduce administrative fragmentation.

“On the proposed derivation-based VAT distribution model, which the Northern Governors oppose, it must be stressed that the new proposal, as enunciated in the Bill, is designed to create a fairer system.

“The current model for distributing VAT is based on where the tax is remitted rather than where goods and services are supplied or consumed. The ongoing tax reform seeks to correct the inherent inequity in the current derivation model as a basis for distributing VAT revenue.

“The new proposal before the National Assembly outlines a different form of derivation which considers the place of supply or consumption for relevant goods and services. This means that states in the Northern region that produce the food we eat should not lose out just because their products are VAT-exempt or consumed in other states.

“These reforms are critical to improving the lives of Nigerians and were not put forward by President Tinubu to undermine any part of the country. There is no better time than now for the National Assembly to give due consideration to these bills that will overhaul our tax systems and create the revenue all the tiers of government require to fund the development our country and people urgently need.”

Ten people lost their lives, and seven others sustained injuries following a building collapse in Ibadan, Oyo State, early Thursday morning.

According to a statement from the Oyo State Fire Services Agency, the incident occurred at 2 a.m. in the Jegeda Oluloyo area within Ona Ara Local Government. The agency reported that while ten bodies were recovered from the rubble, seven people were rescued alive. As of the latest update, rescue operations are still ongoing.

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The statement read, “The Oyo State Fire Services Agency received a distressed call at around 2 am this morning at Jegede Olunloyo area, Ibadan, of which 10 persons have been recovered from the debris of the collapsed building, while seven persons were rescued alive. Rescue operation is still going on.”

According to report gathered by BIZTELLERS, the General Manager of the state Fire Services, Yemi Akinyinka, confirmed that a distress call was received by 2am from the residents of the area. He said “We received a distress call from the people in the neighbourhood at 2 am.

“When we got there, ten people died outrightly. Three people had been recovered before we got to the place, and our men recovered four. They are still working.”