Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of Nigeria’s Presidential Committee on Tax Policy and Fiscal Reforms, has revealed he now lives in a secret location under armed police protection after receiving death threats linked to his efforts to dismantle illegal tax collection networks across the country.
Oyedele made the startling revelation during a live interview on Nigeria Info FM, saying he was forced to abandon his home and seek refuge after unnamed individuals began targeting him for his reforms.
According to him, the threats began soon after he publicly announced a clampdown on over 60 government agencies found to be illegally collecting taxes and levies.
“I had to pack out of my house,” Oyedele 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 been leading a sweeping effort to overhaul Nigeria’s complex and often corrupt tax regime. His reforms aim to simplify tax administration, cut down overlapping jurisdictions, and boost investor confidence by improving transparency. But they have clearly ruffled feathers in high places.
“These are not small boys and girls,” he warned. “They are big people with deep connections and resources. So naturally, they would resist any effort to block those illegal streams.”
However, despite the danger, Oyedele said he remains committed to the cause.
“I believe Nigeria deserves a fair, simple, and transparent tax system,” he said. “And we won’t stop until we make that a reality.”
