Come January 2027, the federal government's inability to assess the security implications of its recently introduced tax legislation will be exposed, according to Omole.

Security consultant Charles Omole has criticized the Federal Government for failing to conduct a security impact assessment of the new tax laws, which he believes will have significant consequences.

n

On 26 June 2025, President Bola Tinubu signed four Tax Reform Bills into law, including the Nigeria Tax Act, the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, the Nigeria Revenue Service Act, and the Joint Revenue Board Act.

n

Dr Omole expressed his concerns on Friday while discussing the topic "Governance, Democracy and National Security" on The Platform, an annual Democracy Day programme, stating that the security implications of the new tax laws will become apparent in January 2027.

n

He emphasized that he has not seen any evidence of the government conducting a security impact assessment of the new tax policies, warning that the security impact will become clear by January next year.

n

According to Dr Omole, the current light-touch enforcement of the new tax regime has not yet prompted a reaction from Nigerians, but he predicts that this will change by January.

n

He previously noted that one consequence of the new tax policy is that Nigerians will start holding cash at home rather than in their bank accounts, which will likely lead to an increase in robberies.

n

Dr Omole questioned what measures have been put in place to pre-empt this potential impact, highlighting the need for a more comprehensive approach to security.

n

He stressed that Nigeria needs to shift its approach from security as a force to security as governance, emphasizing that law enforcement units are not solely responsible for security.

n

Dr Omole explained that various government policies, including land, education, urban planning, economic, and justice delivery policies, can all have a significant impact on security, creating conflicts, extremism, and violence if not properly managed.

n

He concluded that security must be the responsibility of every department of government, rather than just law enforcement units, to ensure a more effective and sustainable approach to security.