Tax Reform: I rented secret apartment following death threats – Oyedele

Chairman of Nigeria’s Presidential Committee on Tax Policy and Fiscal Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, has made a mind boggling revealation that he was forced to flee his home and now lives in a secret location under armed police protection after receiving death threats linked to his tax reform efforts.

He made this known during a live radio interview on Nigeria Info FM, saying the threats started shortly after he announced a clampdown on more than 60 government agencies illegally collecting taxes and levies across the country.

“I had to pack out of my house,” he said. “I rented a place in a secret location where I now live. I’m not the kind of person that wants anybody carrying a gun to follow me around, but I had to accept mobile police protection.”

Oyedele, a former Africa Tax Lead at PwC, has led the drive to simplify and clean up Nigeria’s tax system. He described the backlash as unexpected but driven by powerful individuals who had turned tax collection into a personal revenue stream.

“These are not small boys and girls,” he said. “They are big people with deep connections and resources. So naturally, they would resist any effort to block those illegal streams.”

He said the impact of the threats also took a toll on his family. His wife, he disclosed, has been fasting every night out of fear for his life, unable to sleep and barely able to function during the day. His 80-year-old mother, troubled by media reports, also began fasting and eventually developed an ulcer from the emotional distress

“There’s this bit of sacrifice that people don’t see,” Oyedele said. “If you’re not in the public sector to steal money, it is not attractive at all.”

The new tax laws championed by his committee were signed into law by President Bola Tinubu on 26 June. The four Acts the Nigeria Tax Act, Nigeria Tax Administration Act, Nigeria Revenue Service Act, and Joint Tax Board Act will take effect from 1 January 2026.

The laws aim to simplify tax compliance, eliminate illegal tax collection by government agencies, and ensure that low- and middle-income earners are protected.

Under the new system, Nigerians earning N110,000 or less per month will no longer pay Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) tax. Middle-income earners will see reductions, while only those earning above N2 million monthly will pay more, with the top tax rate now set at 25 percent.