By RismadarVoice Media
December 23, 2025
The Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, has dismissed claims that Nigerians’ bank accounts will be frozen or automatically debited from January 2026, describing the reports as false, misleading and designed to cause panic.
In a post on his X (formerly Twitter) page on Tuesday, Oyedele urged Nigerians not to fall victim to misinformation surrounding the ongoing tax and financial reforms.
“Don’t let anyone manipulate you. Your bank account is safe. Misinformation makes you panic and fear a reform that is designed to help you. When they tell you your account will be frozen or automatically debited from January 2026, ask them for the evidence in the new law. Be wise,” he wrote.
Oyedele explained that no provision in the newly enacted tax laws authorizes the freezing of bank accounts or automatic deductions, noting that such claims have no legal basis.
He also addressed the controversy surrounding allegations that the tax reform laws, slated to take effect on January 1, 2026, were secretly altered after being passed by the National Assembly.
According to him, requirements such as the use of a Tax Identification Number (TIN) for certain transactions are not new, having existed under earlier legislation, including the Finance Act of 2019.
Oyedele stressed that the new laws merely strengthen existing frameworks and do not introduce account restrictions or automatic debits.
He urged Nigerians to verify information from official sources, ignore unsubstantiated claims intended to stoke fear, undermine confidence in reforms aimed at improving the country’s fiscal system.
