Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, has dismissed reports that bank accounts not linked to a Tax Identification Number (TIN) will be frozen or automatically debited from January 1, 2026.

Taiwo Oyedele

Oyedele described the claims as false and misleading, warning Nigerians against panic over misinformation surrounding recent tax and financial reforms.

In a post on his X handle Tuesday morning, he wrote: “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 that your account will be frozen or automatically debited from January 2026, ask them for the evidence in the new law. Be wise.”

He stressed that no provision in the new tax laws authorises the freezing of bank accounts, adding that the rumours are part of widespread misrepresentation of the reforms.

The committee chairman reiterated that the reforms are intended to simplify Nigeria’s tax system and ease the burden on ordinary citizens, not to impose punitive measures on bank customers.

US tech giant, Amazon has disclosed that it blocked more than 1,800 North Koreans from applying for jobs, amid growing concerns that Pyongyang is deploying large numbers of IT workers overseas to earn and launder funds.

Amazon

In a LinkedIn post, Amazon’s Chief Security Officer, Stephen Schmidt, said North Korean nationals have been attempting to secure remote IT roles with companies around the world, particularly in the United States.

He noted that the company recorded nearly a one-third increase in such applications over the past year.

According to Schmidt, many of the applicants operate through so-called “laptop farms” — computers physically located in the US but remotely controlled from abroad.

He warned that the issue is not unique to Amazon and is likely occurring at scale across the tech industry.

He added that common red flags include incorrectly formatted phone numbers and questionable academic credentials.

The issue has previously drawn the attention of US authorities. In July, a woman in Arizona was sentenced to more than eight years in prison for running a laptop farm that helped North Korean IT workers obtain remote jobs at more than 300 US companies.

Officials said the scheme generated over $17 million in revenue for both the woman and North Korea.

Last year, South Korea’s intelligence agency also warned that North Korean operatives were using LinkedIn to pose as recruiters, approaching South Koreans working at defence companies in an attempt to steal sensitive technological information.

“North Korea is actively training cyber personnel and infiltrating key locations worldwide,” Hong Min, an analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification, told AFP.

He added that, given Amazon’s business model, the motivation behind such operations is largely economic, with a high likelihood of attempts to steal financial assets.

North Korea’s cyber warfare programme dates back to at least the mid-1990s and has since expanded into a cyber unit of about 6,000 personnel known as Bureau 121, according to a 2020 US military report.

In November, Washington announced sanctions against eight individuals accused of being state-sponsored hackers, alleging their illicit activities were carried out to fund North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme.

The US Treasury has also accused North Korea-linked cybercriminals of stealing more than $3 billion over the past three years, primarily through cryptocurrency-related crimes.

After nearly 30 years on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE), Econet Wireless, the country’s biggest technology company, is preparing to leave the bourse and move its property and infrastructure assets to the US dollar-based Victoria Falls Stock Exchange (VFEX).

Econet plans to spin off its towers, property and power installations into a new company, Econet InfraCo, which will be listed on the VFEX. Its mobile network operator business will be delisted from the ZSE.

Econet believes the market has failed to properly value its business and its assets. At the time Econet first released a cautionary on December 3, its market capitalisation was the equivalent of US$628 million.

A rally over the past days has lifted it to a market capitalisation – the number of shares times the share price – to around US$1 billion.

“For the last several years, the company has traded at a significant discount to its peers across Africa which trade at 6 – 8x EV/EBITDA.

“These peers have all already separated and realised value from their tower infrastructure whereas the company still owns its tower and other passive infrastructure which the company has now housed under a separate infrastructure company to be listed on the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange,” Econet said.

Econet will keep 70% of Econet InfraCo, with up to 30% used to settle an offer to shareholders who do not wish to remain invested.

The company argues that infrastructure assets are better suited to the VFEX, which trades in US dollars and attracts investors familiar with property and long-term infrastructure.

“Unlike the mobile network operator business in Zimbabwe, infrastructure assets represent a different class of investment, one that is better understood and valued within USD-based property and infrastructure markets.

“This is demonstrated by the higher Price-to-Earnings multiples at which listed real estate and infrastructure companies trade on the VFEX,” the company said.

Econet dominates Zimbabwe’s mobile market, with 88% of voice traffic, 82% of data usage and 73% of all subscribers. It has built the largest portfolio of telecoms assets.

By the end of the second quarter, it had 234 5G sites, 1,700 LTE sites, 1,900 3G towers and 2,860 2G locations.

In the half-year to August alone, it added 27 new 2G–4G sites and 100 new 5G sites.

In addition to these locations, Econet also holds other properties and power assets, including solar installations, Tesla batteries and generators.

The move follows a well-established trend in Africa.

MTN and Airtel Africa sold towers in Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda and Kenya to independent operators like IHS Towers and Helios Towers. Vodacom, Orange and Telkom South Africa have also carved out tower units through sale-and-leaseback deals.

Credit: Newsday