The Federal Government has urged private security operators to embrace intelligence-driven operations, technology and stronger Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) to strengthen national security and tackle evolving security threats nationwide.

The Minister of State for Defence, Dr.

Matawalle was represented by his Special Adviser, Retired Rear Adm. Ariku Abdulkadir at the event with the theme “Reimagining Private Security in Nigeria: From Manpower to Intelligence-Driven Protection.

He said the theme of the summit reflected the changing realities of modern security management.

According to him, terrorism, cybercrime, piracy, transnational organised crime, misinformation and other hybrid threats have become increasingly sophisticated, interconnected and technology-driven.

He added that evolving threats required intelligence superiority, rapid response and effective collaboration among public and private security institutions.

Matawalle said national security now extends beyond territorial defence, stressing that “peace, investment and sustainable development depend on secure environment.”

He said the Federal Government had continued to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture through reforms under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The minister listed the reforms to include the National Security Strategy 2024, the National Defence Policy, the National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy and the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) Act 2023.

He explained that Nigeria was investing in cyber defence, Artificial Intelligence, digital intelligence, surveillance systems, data analytics and integrated command-and-control platforms.

Matawalle, however, stressed that technology must complement professionalism and remain within legal, ethical and human rights frameworks.

He described the private security industry as an indispensable component of Nigeria’s national security system.

According to him, no modern nation can rely solely on public security institutions to protect critical national assets and infrastructure.

He urged private security companies to evolve beyond manpower deployment to intelligence-based, technology-enabled and professionally regulated operations.

The minister said operators should strengthen intelligence gathering, risk management and critical infrastructure protection in collaboration with government agencies.

He emphasised the need for standard training, professional certification, ethical conduct and continuous capacity development across the industry.

He said stronger collaboration among government, the private sector, academia and international partners remained essential to building safer and resilient Nigeria.

The National President, Association of Licenced Private Security Practitioners of Nigeria (ALPSPN), Dr Chris Adikwu, urged government to integrate licenced private security operators into Nigeria’s national security architecture through structured intelligence collaboration.

Represented by Dr. Felix Obaze, Adikwu said more than 1,700 licenced private security companies employing more than four million personnel constituted a strategic national asset capable of strengthening intelligence gathering and protecting critical infrastructure.

He advocated reform of the Private Guard Companies Act, establishment of a National Private Security Intelligence Network, adoption of advanced technologies and joint training with security agencies to enhance national resilience and crime prevention.

The Summit Producer, Chief Agu Amogu, said Nigeria possessed one of Africa’s largest private security workforces whose strategic potential remained underutilised.

Amogu said the industry should move beyond providing guards to becoming key player in intelligence, technology and critical infrastructure protection.

He said the summit would produce practical recommendations culminating in the Abuja Declaration to guide future policy reforms and industry transformation.

The Chairman of the Abuja Chapter of ALPSPN, Chief Lucky Ojealaro, urged operators to embrace innovation, strategic partnerships and continuous professional development.

Ojealaro said the summit would equip participants with knowledge on security governance, enterprise risk management, cybersecurity, emerging threats and regulatory compliance.

He expressed confidence that the engagement would reposition Nigeria’s private security industry as a strategic partner in national security and economic development.

Stakeholders at the summit agreed that private security operators must evolve to be able to function effectively in the national security architecture.

By David Torough, Abuja

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the activities of the purported Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), as Chief of Staff to the President, Olufemi Gbajabiamila, issued a 72-hour ultimatum to Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew to retract what he described as false and defamatory allegations against him or face legal action.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency said the PFIPC was never established by the Federal Government and had no legal backing through any law, presidential instrument, executive approval or other lawful government act.

According to the Presidency, Adeyemi falsely presented himself as the Director-General of the organisation and claimed to be a presidential appointee. President Tinubu consequently directed the ICPC to conclude its investigation within 30 days, covering the alleged forgery of appointment letters and official government documents, false claims of presidential appointment used to obtain official recognition and diplomatic support, including visa facilitation, as well as the opening of multiple bank accounts in the names of purported government agencies using allegedly forged documents.

The President also ordered investigators to identify any public officials, private individuals, financial institutions or intermediaries that may have facilitated the alleged scheme, examine the movement of funds connected with it, and recommend measures to strengthen institutional safeguards against similar abuses. He stressed that all those found culpable should face the full weight of the law.

The Presidency further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to cooperate fully with the ICPC by providing all relevant information required to facilitate the investigation.

Meanwhile, Gbajabiamila, through his solicitors, Pinheiro LP, demanded that Adeyemi withdraw allegations made during a June 25, 2026, press conference, publish an unequivocal apology, remove all related publications from media and social media platforms, and undertake not to make further defamatory statements.

In a cease-and-desist letter dated July 6, 2026, the law firm described the allegations as false, malicious and entirely unsupported by evidence. The allegations included claims that Gbajabiamila demanded 48 per cent of an alleged take-off grant for the purported PFIPC, received N400 million through proxies, manipulated security agencies, abused his office, engaged in corruption, acted under the influence of intoxicating substances while performing official duties, and was involved in murder and a cover-up.

The solicitors maintained that the Chief of Staff had never met or communicated with Adeyemi and argued that the publication was a calculated attempt to tarnish his reputation.

The letter also linked the allegations to an ongoing criminal case before the Federal High Court, Abuja, where Adeyemi is standing trial on charges bordering on the alleged forgery of appointment letters and presidential documents purportedly showing his appointment by President Tinubu.

Pinheiro LP warned that failure to comply with its demands within 72 hours would trigger both criminal and civil proceedings, including a criminal complaint for alleged defamation and a N10 billion suit seeking aggravated and exemplary damages, a perpetual injunction against further publications, and a court order compelling a public retraction and apology. The firm said any damages awarded would be donated to charities chosen by the Chief of Staff.

By Laide Akinboade Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS) has launched Taxporta, a new digital tax management platform, as part of efforts to simplify tax administration and enhance compliance.

The Executive Chairman FCT- IRS , Mr Michael Ango, stated this at a stakeholders’ engagement with MDAs held at the National Assembly Library Trust Fund Complex in Abuja,

He reiterated the Service commitment to continue to improve its services to make filing of taxes easier for all taxpayers, Ministries, Department and Agencies, MDAs.

The essence of the stakeholders engagement is targeted at sensitizing Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) on the implementation of Nigeria’s 2025 tax reforms to ensure voluntary compliance, get first hand feedback from the agencies representatives, as well as to prevent multiple taxation.

He said the new portal represents an upgrade of the agency’s existing digital infrastructure to provide taxpayers with faster, safer and more efficient services.

According to him, the initiative aligns with the Service’s digital transformation agenda and is designed to enable taxpayers complete virtually all tax-related transactions without visiting FCT-IRS offices.

He noted that Taxporta is an end-to-end self-service platform through which taxpayers can register, file returns, calculate taxes, make payments, generate receipts and obtain tax clearance certificates without third-party assistance.

“Of course, we have a digital agenda. Any serious institution, whether in the public or private sector, has to move with the times…In essence, this is a continuation of our own digital innovation process to ensure that we are able to service our taxpayers so they can do all the things they need to do in the comfort of their homes or offices, without having to leave and come to interact with us physically.”

Ango explained that the portal has been configured to reflect the provisions of the new tax laws, allowing taxpayers to input their income while the system automatically computes tax liabilities, applies statutory allowances and facilitates payments, issuance of receipts and tax clearance certificates.

“All the allowances provided under the law have been imputed into the system. Essentially, you are only going to have to put in your income, all of the rest of the work, things like tax clearance, payments of taxes, and all will be done on the portal.”

He expressed confidence that the new platform would strengthen revenue collection and help the Service exceed its annual revenue targets.

“Our focus, as always, is to ensure that we collect the maximum tax. If I tell you that we are focused on 400 billion or 500 billion, at the end of the year we may do 600 billion.”

On enforcement, the FCT-IRS Chairman said the Service would continue to prioritize voluntary compliance over sanctions.

“The law has already provided timelines for penalties, but I don’t like to focus on penalties when I talk to taxpayers because it makes it seem as if you are just waiting to impose punitive measures. For us, the first line is always voluntary compliance.

“Even when people or government agencies are not able to comply, if there is a valid reason, we are always willing to give an extension of time. It is only when we discover that a taxpayer has become recalcitrant or is willfully refusing to comply that we can begin to talk about penalties.”

Ango further explained that the FCT-IRS occupies a unique position as both a Federal Government agency and an agency of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, making collaboration with MDAs essential to effective revenue administration.

He said the stakeholder engagement was organized to ensure a seamless transition from the previous platform to the upgraded system while strengthening partnerships with government institutions.

He added that improved tax compliance would support the ongoing transformation of Abuja through increased funding for infrastructure and public services.

Highlighting the importance of internally generated revenue (IGR), Ango stated that the FCT depends largely on tax revenue to finance infrastructure and development projects.

“The reality is that the FCT, as an institution, is only funded, apart from the IGR, by 1% of the allocation to the Federal Government. So in a month in which the Federal Government gets, for example, 600 billion, the FCT will only get 6 billion Naira from the Federation Account. There may be some Value Added Tax, and then the bulk of the funds that the FCT is able to access comes from itsservice

In his remarks, Executive Secretary of the National Assembly Library Trust Fund, Hon. Henry Nwauna, described the engagement as a strategic initiative aimed at strengthening collaboration between government institutions and tax authorities.

“This engagement is strategic. It reflects commitment of government institutions to strengthening collaboration, deepen mutual understanding, and promote compliance with tax obligations in support of sustainable national development.”

Nwauna emphasized that stronger cooperation, transparency and accountability among MDAs and tax authorities are critical to improving revenue generation and financing national development.

Also speaking, Tax Controller, MDA Tax Office, FCT-IRS, Fatima Abubakar, urged MDAs and taxpayers to comply with the provisions of the 2025 Nigerian Tax Reform Acts to avoid penalties.

She explained that the sensitization focused on the provisions of the Nigerian Tax Administration Act (NTAA) 2025 and other new tax reform laws, including tax registration, filing of returns, assessments and issuance of tax clearance certificates.

Abubakar stressed that every taxable individual, business and government institution must obtain a taxpayer identification number (TIN) and comply with tax obligations under the new legal framework, noting that proper understanding of the jurisdiction of tax authorities would also help prevent revenue losses arising from incorrect remittances.

Abubakar also used the medium to appeal to all MDAs to remit their employers deduction promptly, and warned that the tax authority has the right to automatically register and generate TIN for taxable persons with their NIN.

According to her, with the new tax reform, apart from taxes from salary, all tax payers and individuals are expected to pay taxes on every benefits, allowances being enjoyed from the office.

” All benefits in kind and cash are taxable because they are perks of the office, e.g 5% of the value of official car, and one hundred thousand naira fine for incomplete tax filing in the first month, and fifty thousand naira for subsequent months “

She also stressed the need for agencies awarding contract to vendors to request for their tax clearance certificate,TCC before awarding the contract, or be prepared to pay five million naira fine.

One of the participants an Manager in charge of Tax at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), Mohammed Ali, commended the FCT-IRS for organizing the stakeholder engagement, describing it as a commendable initiative that would strengthen collaboration between the tax authority and taxpayers.

According to him, the engagement would boost stakeholders’ confidence and promote transparency in the discharge of the Service’s responsibilities.

“I think it’s worthwhile. I think it’s very important, and we really appreciate the tax authority for organizing such an engagement. I think it will boost stakeholders’ confidence as well as that shows a lot of level of transparency in the discharge of their functions,”