General News
Buhari Rules out Amnesty for Boko Haram
Major General Muhammadu Buhari, All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, vowed yesterday to ensure that Boko Haram members face justice for their atrocities committed against Nigeria and its people, if he wins the March 28 presidential election.
Buhari said in London that rather than grant amnesty to the insurgents his administration would make those arrested answer for their crime by prosecuting them.
Speaking after delivering a paper titled: “Prospects for Democratic Consolidation in Africa: Nigeria’s Transition,” at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, popularly known as Chatham House, the former head of state said he would restore Nigeria’s lost glory if elected.
“On amnesty for Boko Haram, I think I wouldn’t go to that office with such a promise. I mentioned in my address how thousands of Nigerians have been killed by Boko Haram, how millions of them have been displaced and are being camped in different places as internally displaced persons; schools are closed and there is so much disruptions to life. People are not able to farm, and where they farm, they couldn’t harvest.
So, for me, I think I will be unfair to the system if I say I am going to grant amnesty to Boko Haram. We want to secure Nigeria, so we must ensure through intelligence that those who are caught are given the chance to be properly prosecuted.” While debunking insinuations that he once referred to attack on Boko Haram as an attack on the North, he said those attributing such a statement to him were ill-informed.
He also dismissed claims that he is not fit to run Nigeria’s affairs on account of his age.
According to Buhari, at 72, he is as fit as a fiddle even after touring 35 out of 36 states for his campaign.
He stated further that his stance on graft has not changed, vowing not to engage any corrupt individual in his administration, if elected.
The one-hour interactive session, which was chaired by a former British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Sir Richard Gozney, was also attended by prominent APC leaders, Senator Bola Tinubu, Rivers State Governor, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, and former Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, among other supporters of the party and Nigerians residing abroad. Justifying his no-amnesty- for-Boko Haram stance, Buhari said it would be unfair to thousands of people killed and maimed by the terror group for the Federal Government to pardon them as it did with Niger Delta militants.
He added that it would be erroneous to believe that a region with more than 12,000 of the about 13,000 casualties suffered by the country would regard an attack on the insurgents as an assault on them.
“I think this is an uninformed opinion. Out of those 13,000 casualties, I believe more than 12,000 are Northerners. So how can Northerners feel that an attack on Boko Haram is an attack on them? The schools that were vandalised, the children killed, and particularly the Chibok girls, more than 200 of them, and most of them are Northerners.
So I think one has to examine reasons for believing or disbelieving allegations against any part of the country. It is just like saying that the stealing of about 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day is by the people of Sokoto or Maiduguri, where most of them have never even see a sea. But I assure you that people in their own way are already fighting insurgency by passing relevant information to security agencies and that is to tell you that they are the biggest casualties,” he stated.
On his health status, the APC candidate said: “I am very happy that I have been able to go to 35 states out of 36 and I haven’t broken down. Somebody announced me dead yesterday. I had a call from Maiduguri yesterday (Wednesday) that somebody rushed to a friend’s house that Buhari has died in a hospital in London.
So, the person called me and I laughed my head off. Certainly, I will be expecting too much if I don’t expect that people are wishing me dead. But I am fit. Doctors have declared me fit and I am going back with a renewed onslaught.”
Buhari also warned against postponing the general elections, saying that he will go to court to challenge any fresh vote delay. Asked what his disposition would be to the ‘fat salaries’ of legislators, Buhari said: “I really won’t like to touch their salaries now and I don’t know if I will be constrained to touch it when I become the president.”
On his stance on Sharia, Buhari said: “Sharia is limited by our constitution. So, anybody who wants to change the Sharia will have to change the constitution.” Buhari, in his lecture, described the present administration as a wasteful government.
According to him, the two major problems of the Peoples Democratic Party – led government are corruption and waste.
“Let me assure you that if I am elected president, the world will have no cause to worry about Nigeria as it has had to recently, that Nigeria will return to its stabilising role in West Africa, and that no inch of Nigerian territory will ever be lost to the enemy because we will pay special attention to the welfare of our soldiers in and out of service; we will give them adequate and modern arms and ammunition to work with.
We will improve intelligence gathering to choke Boko Haram’s financial and equipment channels; we will be tough on terrorism and tough on its root causes by initiating a comprehensive economic development plan promoting infrastructural development, job creation, agriculture and industry in the affected areas.
“We will always act on time and not allow problems to irresponsibly fester, and I, General Muhammadu Buhari, will always lead from the front and return Nigeria to its leadership role in regional and international efforts to combat terrorism.” On corruption, he said: “First and foremost, we will plug the holes in the budgetary process. Revenue producing entities such as Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Customs and Excise will have one set of books only. Their revenues will be publicly disclosed and regularly audited.
The institutions of state dedicated to fighting corruption will be given independence and prosecutorial authority without political interference. But I must emphasise that any war waged on corruption should not be misconstrued as settling old scores or a witch-hunt.
I’m running for president to lead Nigeria to prosperity and not adversity.” Buhari also stated that he accepted responsibility for his actions as a military ruler, adding that dictatorship is sine qua non to military rule. He said: “I have heard and read references to me as a former dictator in many respected British newspapers including the well regarded The Economist. Let me say without sounding defensive that dictatorship goes with military rule, though some might be less dictatorial than others.
“I take responsibility for whatever happened under my watch. I cannot change the past. But I can change the present and the future. So before you is a former military ruler and a converted democrat who is ready to operate under democratic norms and is subjecting himself to the rigours of democratic elections for the fourth time.” The PDP, however, faulted Buhari’s lecture, saying his appearance at Chatham House will not stop his defeat on March 28. The party’s Presidential Campaign Organisation also queried Buhari’s decision to honour the Chatham House invitation while refusing to participate in presidential debate.
The newly enacted Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025, has empowered the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), renamed Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), to impose fines for individuals and companies for failing to register, file returns, use tax technology, or disclose basic information like a change of business address.
The Act is among the tax laws signed by President Bola Tinubu on June 26.
The tax administration law is expected to take effect from January 1, 2026, under a renamed agency — the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), currently known as the FIRS.
The Act, which is an updated version of previous fragmented tax enforcement provisions, outlines a comprehensive list of offences and corresponding penalties, with fines ranging from N10,000 to N10 million, as well as prison terms of up to 10 years for serious breaches.
Under the general offences and penalties section of the law, a taxable person who fails to register with the relevant tax authority is liable to a N50,000 fine in the first month and N25,000 for each subsequent month of default.
The Act stressed that companies that award contracts to unregistered vendors will face a N5 million penalty.
The law also imposes a N100,000 fine for failure to file tax returns, plus N50,000 monthly for as long as the failure continues.
“A taxable person who fails or refuses to file returns or knowingly files incomplete or inaccurate returns to the relevant tax authority in accordance with the provisions of this Act, shall be liable to pay an administrative penalty of (a) 100,000 in the first month in which the failure occurs; and (b) N50,000 for each subsequent month in which the failure continues,” the Act reads.
“A taxable person who Failure to books (a) fails to keep accounts, books and records of business transactions and income, to allow for the correct ascertainment of tax and filing of returns to the relevant tax authority; or (b) upon request by the relevant tax authority, fails to provide any record or book prescribed in this Act shall be liable to pay an administrative penalty of- (i) in the case of a person other than a company, N10,000, and (ii) in the case of a company, N50,000.”
Also, the law states that failure to notify the tax authority of a change of address within 30 days of such change, giving a wrong address, or failing to comply with the requirement for notification of permanent cessation of trade or business under the relevant tax laws shall be liable to an administrative penalty.
“A taxable person who fails to notify the relevant tax authority – Failure to notify change of address (a) N100,000 for the first month in which the failure occurs; and (b) 45,000 for each subsequent month failure persists,” the law reads.
In a bid to modernise tax compliance, the Act makes it compulsory for businesses to allow the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to deploy fiscalisation technology or face a N1 million fine for the first day of refusal and N10,000 for each day after.
Any business that fails to process sales through the fiscalisation system will also be fined N200,000, pay 100 percent of the tax due, and accrue interest at the prevailing Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) monetary policy rate.
The Act is especially punitive toward those who fail to deduct or remit taxes.
“A person that deducts, collects, or withholds any tax under this Act, and fails to remit the amount deducted, collected, or withheld by the 21st day of the month immediately succeeding the month in which the amount was deducted, collected, or withheld, is liable to pay,” it added.
“Failure to remit tax deducted source or self-account (a) the amount deducted, collected or withheld but not remitted; (b) an administrative penalty of 10% per annum of the tax deducted, collected or withheld but not remitted; and (c) interest at the prevailing Central Bank of Nigeria monetary policy rate. “A person convicted of any of the offences under this section shall be liable to a term of imprisonment not exceeding three years, or a fine of not less than the principal amount due plus a penalty of not more than 50% of the sum, or both.
“A person who (a) fails to comply with the requirements of a notice served under this Act or any other tax law; (b) fails to attend or provide answers to a notice, summons or process served under this Act or any other tax law; or (c) having attended, fails to answer any question lawfully put to him, is liable to an administrative penalty of N100,000 in the first day of default and N10,000 for every subsequent day where the default.”
Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement Unit (Taskforce) has apprehended six suspects allegedly involved in a fraudulent lottery scheme that targeted unsuspecting residents at Iyana-Ipaja.
Those arrested include Amaike Nelson, Kenneth Opuana, Oguntade Olusegun, Ogologo Obi, Goodluck Abel, and Oluwafunmilayo Adebimpe. The syndicate was tracked down following intelligence reports about their activities.
According to the taskforce, the suspects lured a 19-year-old student, identified as Rukayat Kamilu, into a manipulated street game. During the encounter, the group reportedly coerced her into surrendering her mobile phone and personal belongings.
The victim said one of the suspects, later identified as Oguntade Olusegun, posed as a confused passer-by seeking help to pick a “winning number.” After she got involved, her phone was seized, and she was allegedly pressured to pay N100,000 to retrieve it.
Acting on a tip-off, operatives led by CSP Adetayo Akerele, chairman, stormed the area and arrested the suspects. Several empty Android phone boxes, allegedly used as props in the scam, were recovered during the operation.
Condemning the criminal act, Akerele assured residents that the agency is intensifying its crackdown on street scams across the state.
“Our responsibility is to safeguard the lives and property of Lagosians. We will leave no room for such fraudulent activities to thrive,” he stated.
The suspects were subsequently arraigned before a Magistrates’ Court on charges bordering on gambling, extortion, theft, and conspiracy.
They all pleaded guilty. The court ordered that they remain in custody pending further hearing, scheduled for August 7, 2025.
In a giant stride to support innovation, entrepreneurship and economic transformation, the Federal Government is set to unveil a N50 million grant for Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medical Sciences (STEEM) students in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.
The project, which is referred to as the Student Venture Capital Grant (S-VCG), is a pioneering initiative designed to empower the students towards building the next generation of scalable, job-creating ventures.
According to a statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations in the Ministry of Education, Folashade Boriowo, Friday, the initiative will be formally unveiled in August by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa.
Boriowo stated that the minister made the disclosure during a stakeholders’ engagement session held in Abuja in the presence of vice-chancellors, provosts, rectors, student leaders, academic staff, and development partners, and will chart a collective course for nurturing student-led innovation.
The statement noted that the grant targets full-time undergraduate students in STEMM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medical Sciences), specifically those in 300 level and above.
“Each selected student-led project will be eligible to receive startup funding of up to N50 million, along with access to mentorship, incubation services and business development support.
“The initiative will be implemented in partnership with the Bank of Industry (BoI) to ensure financial transparency, impact measurement and effective project execution.
“S-VCG is not just a grant. It’s a launchpad for bold, young innovators to lead Nigeria’s industrial and technological transformation,” said Alausa.
Speaking at the session, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, described the grant as a strategic investment in Nigeria’s knowledge economy.
“We’re building a stronger, more competitive future by supporting innovation from the ground up,” she said, adding that the programme’s design was informed by months of consultation with students, faculty and institutional leaders.
Participants at the event welcomed the STEMM-Up Grant as a timely, strategic and high-impact initiative that will drive youth innovation, tackle graduate unemployment, and position Nigeria as a hub for student-led entrepreneurship in Africa.
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