The leadership of the organised labour has again asked the Federal Government to immediately halt the implementation of the new tax laws to avoid face-off with workers across the country.

The movement, comprising both the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), said tax laws’ draft and implementation excluded inputs of workers in both the private and public sector.

Joe Ajaero, President of NLC, handed down this warning in Abuja on Wednesday during the launch of a memoir in honour of a former President of NLC, Hassan Summonu, and the celebration of his 85th birthday.

It would be recalled that there have been growing calls for the suspension of the tax reform laws signed by President Bola Tinubu, with opposition figures warning that the policy could worsen economic hardship and lead to serious social consequences.

Speaking during the launching, Ajaero maintained that the new tax laws place additional financial burden on low-income earners, insisting it is a law that increases hardship on workers and the poor.

According to him, workers were deliberately left out of the presidential tax reform process, despite being major taxpayers, while describing the law as regressive.

He stated, “The Tax Laws went through a process that clearly excluded Nigerian workers and masses who are the major tax payers in Nigeria.

“From the Presidential Committee on Tax in which Nigerian workers were deliberately excluded, we knew that the workers and masses were going to be on the menu (“eaten”); we said so and alerted the nation, then the Legislative processes; we warned of the dangers but no one listened.

“Today, the result is clear; laws with serious alterations directed at making workers and the poor poorer has become the outcome. Tax Law that imposes heavy burdens on workers and the poor is not progressive.

“Tax that taxes the national minimum wage is not fair. Tax that taxes the masses who are living in excruciating poverty is regressive.

“That was why we were excluded from the Committee and that was why our warnings went unheeded. We do not see anything wrong in pausing along this negative path, rethink, and redirect.”

The labour leader alleged that it imposes heavier taxes on those already struggling with economic hardship, adding that taxes affecting those earning the minimum wage could not be described as fair or progressive.

He, however, called on the Federal Government to review the law, warning that continuing with its implementation without addressing concerns could undermine public trust and democratic principles.

“Insisting on going ahead is akin to muddling along in confusion and darkness since we do not know which one is truly the Law. Continuing with this is a dangerous pattern that seriously undermines the Tax administration itself and indeed our democracy.

“We advise this government; your legacy must be in crafting foundational and credible Laws that strengthen institutions, not undermine them. When you bypass key stakeholders, distort acts of parliament, and rule by strong arm, you make a mockery of our democracy.

“You negate public trust and threaten national stability. True democracy is not just about elections; it is about the rule of law, institutional integrity, and governance that serves the many, not the few,” the NLC President said.

He also urged the government to fully constitute the PENCOM Board and engage labour unions more meaningfully on policies affecting workers.

Ajaero further reiterated the NLC’s demand for the government to address workers’ wages ahead of the next statutory national minimum wage negotiations.

He added, “Let this celebration of a life spent organising inspire a new chapter. Let the government move from agonising the people to organising with them.

“Let us build a democracy that delivers not just political freedom but economic liberation; where the wealth of the nation serves the welfare of its people.

“It is on this note that we once again call on the federal government to urgently address the Wages of Nigerian workers before next year’s statutory negotiation of the National Minimum Wage.

“Comrade Summonu, as we launch your book Today, we pledge to keep its central message alive. We will continue to organise. We will continue to challenge power.

“We will continue to fight for a Nigeria where no worker has to agonise over poverty, insecurity, heavy Taxation or a stolen future riddled with national debt.”

From Attah Ede, Makurdi

Suspected armed herdsmen have launched a fresh attack on Udeku Maav-Ya community in Mbakyol Council Ward, Turan District of Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State, killing five farmers.

The attack occurred at about 4:00 p.

m. on Tuesday while residents were harvesting yams and bambara nuts. A villager, who identified himself simply as Terna, said the assault threw the entire community into panic and brought all activities to a halt.

Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Kwande Local Government Area, Tersua Yarkwan, said five people were killed in the attack. He disclosed that the assailants did not withdraw immediately after the killings, a development he said heightened tension in the area.

Yarkwan described Kwande as a vulnerable border local government that shares an international boundary with Cameroon, noting that the difficult terrain has continued to hamper effective security operations. He warned that the persistent attacks on farming communities, especially during harvest season, pose a serious threat to food security.

Also confirming the incident, a former Supervisory Councillor in the local government, Mr. Akerigba Lawrence, lamented the repeated assaults on Udeku Maav-Ya community. He said residents have been subjected to sustained attacks, destruction of crops, homes, and economic trees, as well as restricted access to water sources.

Lawrence identified three of the victims as Tyozua Gyuse, Gbaga Gyuse, and Tersuur Ijighka, adding that the identities of two others had yet to be confirmed as of the time of filing this report.

He further disclosed that search operations were ongoing to locate residents who were declared missing following the attack.

“As I speak with you, schools, churches, and markets have been forced to shut down due to repeated attacks on the community,” he said.

Efforts to obtain a reaction from the Benue State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, did not respond to calls or text messages at the time of filing this report.

The latest attack has renewed concerns over the increasing influx of armed herders into Benue communities, a trend residents say often escalates during the dry season.

By David Torough, Abuja

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured an interim court order forfeiting properties valued at ₦213.23 billion allegedly linked to former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, intensifying a high-profile legal battle that has now spilled into claims of intimidation, abuse of process, and a “media trial.

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Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday granted the EFCC’s ex parte application, ordering the interim forfeiture of 57 landed assets spread across Abuja, Kebbi, Kano and Kaduna states.

The judge held that the properties are “reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities” and ordered that the forfeiture be published in a national newspaper to allow interested parties 14 days to show cause why the assets should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

The matter was adjourned to January 27, 2026, for a report of compliance.

The forfeiture order came less than 12 hours after the same court granted Malami, his wife, Asabe Bashir, and his son, Abdulaziz Malami, bail in the sum of ₦500 million each, with two sureties in like sum, in an ongoing ₦8.7 billion money laundering case. Their substantive trial is scheduled to commence on February 17.

The assets listed in the forfeiture schedule include luxury duplexes in Maitama and Asokoro, multiple hotels operating under Meethaq Hotels Limited in Maitama and Jabi, plazas, warehouses, shopping mall units, oil and gas facilities, schools, agro-allied factories, farmlands, and extensive residential properties. Some assets are allegedly linked to Malami’s sons and wife, while others are associated with corporate and non-profit entities.

Among the most valuable properties are a rehabilitated Maitama hotel reportedly valued at ₦12.95 billion, a five-storey hotel in Jabi valued at ₦8.4 billion, and a luxury duplex in Maitama with a post-enhancement valuation of ₦5.95 billion.

In a brief statement following the bail ruling, Malami reaffirmed his commitment to the rule of law, assuring that he would comply with all court directives. His media aide, Mohammed Bello Doka, urged the public to remain calm pending further details.

However, tensions escalated hours later when Malami’s office issued a press release alleging plans by security agencies to rearrest him immediately upon his release, despite subsisting bail orders. The statement claimed that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) had mounted surveillance around the Kuje Correctional Service and were poised to act on “trumped-up and unrelated charges.”

Describing the alleged move as a “grave assault on constitutional safeguards,” Malami’s camp warned that his personal safety, as well as that of his family and staff, was under threat, and called on civil society, the legal community, and the international community to monitor the situation closely.

In a separate statement, Malami’s office also accused the EFCC of conducting a media trial by misrepresenting comments made by Justice Nwite during court proceedings. The defence rejected suggestions that anyone connected to Malami attempted to bribe or improperly approach the presiding judge, insisting that the judge’s remarks were routine cautions issued to all litigants and lawyers appearing before him.

The EFCC, which is prosecuting Malami and his co-defendants, has not publicly responded to the allegations of planned rearrest or media manipulation.