The Lagos state government has commenced the implementation of a five percent withholding tax (WHT) deduction on gaming winnings.

In a newspaper advert on Thursday, Are Bashir, chief executive officer (CEO) of the authority, said the deduction is in line with applicable tax laws and regulatory directives governing the industry.

According to the statement, the deduction applies to net winnings from licensed gaming platforms operating within the state and will be made at the point of payout.

“All licensed gaming operators in Lagos have been directed to comply immediately with the framework,” Bashir said.

“Under the new arrangement, 5% of qualifying gaming winnings will be automatically deducted before payment is made to players and remitted to the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) as the statutory tax authority.

“According to the State Government, the measure forms part of Lagos’ broader drive to strengthen tax compliance, transparency, and accountability in the rapidly expanding gaming sector.”

The CEO said players must provide their national identification number (NIN) in line with know-your-customer (KYC) requirements, while licensed operators will oversee all deductions and remittances in accordance with regulatory guidelines.

“Players will receive their winnings net of the statutory deduction, with proper records maintained for transparency. The WHT deducted also serves as a tax credit to the player,” he added.

Bashir said that all licensed gaming operators in Lagos state have been formally directed to begin implementing the deductions with immediate effect.

1. Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on Tuesday spent the second night in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, as his lawyer, A.U Mustapha (SAN), pushes for his release on bail.

There are, however, indications that the commission may seek a remand order to extend his stay in custody to enable him to respond to questions posed by investigators handling his matter.

2. The Sultanate Council Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs, in conjunction with the National Moonsighting Committee, has stated that it received reports from various Moonsighting Committees across the Country, confirming the sighting of the new moon of Ramadan 1447AH, on Tuesday, 17th February, 2026.
.

3. A pre-congress stakeholders’ meeting of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State turned violent on Tuesday as suspected thugs invaded the party secretariat in Akure, leaving many injured and the state chairman and a commissioner beaten.
The incident occurred less than 24 hours before the nationwide ward congress scheduled to be held across 203 wards in the state

4. Some members of the House of Representatives walked out of the green chamber on Tuesday in protest against the move to rescind the passage of the Electoral Act Amendment bill. Trouble started after Francis Waive, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Rules and Business, moved a motion for the House to reverse its decision on the bill which was passed on December 23, 2025.

5. Six travellers, including four members of the Ansaarudeen Islamic Society, were on Tuesday morning abducted by bandits along the Naka-Makurdi road in Benue State, with the kidnappers demanding N100 million for their release.

6. The Naira on Tuesday appreciated to N1,385 per dollar in the parallel market from N1,393 per dollar on Monday. Similarly, the naira appreciated to N1,337 per dollar in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market, NFEM.

7. A pre-congress stakeholders’ meeting of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State turned violent on Tuesday as suspected thugs invaded the party secretariat in Akure, leaving many injured and the state chairman and a commissioner beaten. The incident occurred less than 24 hours before the nationwide ward congress.

8. Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on Tuesday spent the second night in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, as his lawyer, A.U Mustapha, pushes for his release on bail. There are, however, indications that the commission may seek a remand order to extend his stay in custody to enable him to respond to questions posed by investigators handling his matter.

9. Salaries of unverified workers in the Federal Civil Service will be discontinued from March 2026, following the conclusion of the ongoing Personnel Audit and Skills Gap Analysis. This was contained in a memo issued by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation on Tuesday.

10. The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the extradition of a Nigerian man, Matthew Chukwuemeka Adebiyi, also known as Matthew Adebiyi, to the United Kingdom to face trial over allegations of murder and drug-related offences. Justice Ayokunle Faji delivered the judgment on Monday in suit No. FHC/L/CS/416/2025, filed by the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation.

1. The National Assembly announced on Sunday that it would reconvene its plenary session on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, cutting short its recess amid indications that lawmakers may review the date set for the 2027 presidential election.

Findings by our correspondent showed that the National Assembly may shift the presidential poll to February 13, 2027

2. There is anxiety in the air as millions of football-loving Nigerians await the World football governing body, FIFA’s verdict today on the petition filed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), against the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) over alleged player ineligibility during the 2026 World Cup African playoff final.

3. Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, says he will support only candidates that support President Bola Tinubu’s reelection, irrespective of political party, in the FCT area councils’ election, scheduled for February 21. Wike stated this in Abuja on Saturday night, during Sen. Sandy Onor’s 60th birthday.

4. Malam Nasir El-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna State, has asked the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, to clarify reports that the NSA’s office imported ‘thallium sulphate’, a very dangerous toxin. In the letter titled, ‘Request for Clarification on the Procurement of Thallium Sulphate’, El-Rufai raised some questions which he asked Ribadu to respond to.

5. United States military aircraft have begun landing in Maiduguri, Borno State, signaling the start of a new security cooperation phase between the US and Nigeria. A US military plane touched down Thursday night at the northeastern city’s airport, with additional aircraft expected over the weekend as part of a phased deployment of approximately 200 American personnel.

6. The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Niger State Command, has arrested a village head and 33 others in connection with the killing of Police Constable Emmanuel Shamsi and the burning of an NSCDC patrol vehicle by suspected illegal miners in Zuzungi, Katcha LG last week. Addressing journalists, NSCDC Commandant Suberu Siyaka Aniviye said some of the suspects were apprehended at the village head’s residence, where they had been hiding.

7. Tension remains high along the Benue-Taraba border following the abduction of a businesswoman and nine other passengers along the Takum-Tor Donga-Katsina Road in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area, LGA. The victims were reportedly kidnapped on February 9, 2026, around 10 a.m., at a settlement identified as Tse-De while traveling from Takum in Taraba State to Tor-Donga Market, a major commercial hub.

8. A gang of about ten terrorists stormed the ancient town of Kakafu in Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State on Sunday morning, abducting four residents in a fresh attack. It was gathered that the bandits fired sporadic gunshots into the air to create panic, causing residents to flee in different directions before they went away with the victims.

9. The Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID,Yaba, has launched an investigation into the mysterious death of two Nollywood production crew members, found lifeless inside a parked vehicle within a premises in Lekki Phase 1, where a movie was being filmed. The deceased were identified as Godstime Imeh, a lighting director and CEO of GeeTee Light, and Walter Odediran, a creative video director known as Director Carrinqton.

10. The volume of Premium Motor Spirit, otherwise known as petrol, imported into the country declined by 42.2 per cent in January 2026 to 24.8 million litres per day, down from 42.8 million litres recorded in December 2025, a report published by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, has indicated