Burned Files, Altered Laws: The Growing Pattern of Disappearing Records Under Tinubu

West Africa WeeklyDecember 21, 20252 Mins read1k

A fire outbreak at the headquarters of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in Abuja on Saturday, December 20, 2025, has reignited public suspicion about a recurring pattern of “accidents” that appear to consume sensitive records linked to President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The fire, which broke out on the fourth floor of the FIRS complex, damaged several offices but caused no casualties. FIRS management quickly attributed the incident to a possible electrical fault and assured the public that safety protocols are under review. The explanation rings hollow amid earlier fires, missing documents, and disputed official records that conveniently surface whenever the investigation tightens around the Tinubu administration.

The FIRS incident recalls the 2020 destruction of the Lagos State High Court in Igbosere during the #EndSARS protests, an inferno that wiped out court records, including files tied to a high-profile lawsuit involving Tinubu. The suit, filed by Dapo Apara, former managing director of Alpha Beta Consulting, alleged that Tinubu exercised control over the firm, which reportedly received 10 per cent of Lagos State’s internally generated revenue. Apara further alleged that more than ₦20 billion was transferred to various companies under suspicious circumstances. With the court building razed and the registrar’s copy of the case destroyed, the legal challenge was effectively stalled, forcing the claimant to contemplate restarting the case from scratch.

The repeated loss of crucial records has had a chilling effect on accountability, particularly where allegations touch the president or his political network. They note that while fires and “technical issues” are common occurrences in poorly maintained public infrastructure, it is the selective disappearance of politically sensitive documents that fuels public distrust.

That distrust has deepened in recent months over allegations that tax reform laws passed by the National Assembly were materially altered before being gazetted and signed by President Tinubu on June 26, 2025. Lawmakers have publicly complained that the versions of the tax laws now being sold to Nigerians contain provisions that were never debated or approved. Representative Abdulsamad Dasuki told the House that entire sections appear to have been inserted after the harmonisation process, while others, particularly clauses meant to limit executive overreach, were allegedly removed.

Opposition parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), have gone further, calling for an immediate suspension of the affected laws. They allege that the altered texts grant the executive sweeping powers, including the authority to seize property without court approval. Images circulating online, purportedly comparing National Assembly versions with the final gazette of the Nigeria Tax Act 2025, have intensified the controversy. However, the presidency has yet to offer a detailed, clause-by-clause rebuttal.

Adding another layer to the unease is a newly disclosed Memorandum of Understanding between FIRS and France’s tax authority, the Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (DGFiP). While FIRS insists the agreement is limited to “technical assistance,” many question how such assistance can occur without access to sensitive systems and taxpayer data. The refusal to publish the full MoU has only amplified fears of secrecy, external influence, and the quiet outsourcing of sovereign responsibilities.

The pattern is difficult to ignore, where court records vanish in flames, legislative texts appear altered after passage, and key agreements remain hidden from public view. Each incident, taken alone, might be explained away. Taken together, they paint a picture of an administration repeatedly entangled in controversies where transparency goes missing just when it is most needed.

The APC has dismissed these concerns as politically motivated, with party leaders pointing to the proposed 2026 budget as proof that President Tinubu is governing with focus and purpose. But for a growing segment of the public, the issue is not rhetoric or policy promises; it is trust. The situation resembles a library where the only books that ever catch fire are those detailing the librarian’s debts. Officials may blame faulty wiring each time, but when the same chapters keep disappearing, suspicion naturally replaces reassurance.