Hi,

Happy weekend,

Since the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari last week, they’ve not allowed us to hear word. It’s been a torrent of mixed emotions across Nigeria.

While official tributes pour in from government quarters, the streets and social media tell a different story. Young Nigerians, in particular, are expressing frustration and anger at a leader they feel deceived them not once, but twice. And for good reasons too.

You see, in the 1980s, Muhammadu Buhari was regarded by his peers as a no-nonsense soldier who could clean a corrupt Nigeria. When corruption scandals and economic mismanagement brought down Shehu Shagari's civilian government, Nigerians initially welcomed the young Major-General who promised discipline and accountability.

But his image as a reformer, was mostly a myth, which turned out to be more powerful than the reality. His military government was authoritarian, repressive and ultimately failed to deliver the promised transformation.

The War Against Indiscipline became his calling card, complete with public floggings and draconian decrees that many believed were necessary medicine for a sick nation. And while he flogged and threw people into prison left and right, the country slipped into a recession.

By 1985, his own military colleagues had grown tired of his heavy-handed approach and ousted him in another coup.

Yet somehow, three decades later, this same mythical figure would resurface. In 2014, as Nigeria again faced economic crisis and rampant corruption under Goodluck Jonathan, the Buhari myth proved irresistible once more.

Prominent intellectuals including a Nobel prize winner, pastors, civil society leaders, a former president, all of whom had lived under his first regime, all convinced themselves and millions of Nigerians, that age and experience had mellowed the former dictator into a democratic reformer. The symbolic weight of his anti-corruption credentials drove them to overlook the authoritarian tendencies that had never truly disappeared.

Both times, Nigerians bought into a carefully constructed narrative. Both times, they were left with a country more divided, more polarized and arguably more corrupt than before. The leader who vowed to unite Nigeria instead deepened ethnic and religious divisions. In both incarnations—military and democratic—Buhari proved masterful at cultivating an image that bore little resemblance to his actual governance.

Perhaps no single episode better illustrates the ruthless pragmatism behind Buhari's carefully crafted image than the extraordinary events of July 1984, when his government orchestrated one of the most audacious international operations in Nigerian history. The target was Umaru Dikko, Shagari's former Transport Minister and the man Buhari's regime blamed for much of the previous government's corruption.

What happened next reads like a Cold War thriller: an international kidnapping plot involving Israeli Mossad agents, Nigerian intelligence operatives, diplomatic crates, and a plan so brazen it would strain relations between Nigeria and Britain for years.

The story reveals everything about Buhari's true character: the lengths he would go to silence opposition, the international conspiracies he was willing to orchestrate, and his remarkable ability to emerge from controversies with his reputation somehow intact.

We are not allowed to speak ill of the dead. But as Shakespeare wrote in Julius Caesar, “The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones.” We live in a world created by Buhari and it’s not so good a world. But still, we pray Allah grants him eternal rest.

We invite you to read the definitive event in the history of Buhari’s first regime.

Also included is:

• A breakdown the new tax laws and what it says about how investors, freelancers, creatives and tech workers, will now pay taxes.

• Top 10 Rental Businesses to Launch in 2025

• And more.

We hope you enjoy and happy weekend again.

The SimplVest Team

Umaru Dikko: The Story of the Most Wanted Man In Nigeria’s History

Except for the rendition of Nnamdi Kanu in 2021, few stories from Nigeria’s history rival the audacious plot that unfolded on the streets of London in July 1984. It reads like something from a John le Carré novel: a kidnapping involving Israeli Mossad agents, Nigerian intelligence operatives, diplomatic crates and a man who had once been one of the most powerful figures in Nigeria, Umaru Dikko.

This is the story of how Nigeria’s most wanted man became the target of an extraordinary international manhunt that would strain diplomatic relations between Nigeria and the UK.

👉 Full Story here: Umaru Dikko: The Story of the Most Wanted Man In Nigeria’s History

Nigeria’s New Tax Law Explained for Freelancers, Creatives and Tech Workers

Are you a graphic designer working from your laptop? A content creator making videos for brands? A programmer building apps for clients? Or maybe you drive for Uber, deliver food, or manage social media accounts for businesses?

If you answered yes to any of these, this article is for you. Nigeria’s new tax law or the Tax Act, 2025 has something to say about your income, and it’s not as scary as you might think.

👉 Full Story here: Nigeria’s New Tax Law Explained for Freelancers, Creatives and Tech Workers

Nigeria’s New Tax Rules for Investors: A Simple Guide

Gone are the days when investing was only for the wealthy elite. Today, everyday Nigerians are buying shares, joining investment cooperatives, earning rental income, and even investing internationally. But with these opportunities comes a question that keeps many investors up at night: how much of my profit does the government want?

The Nigeria Tax Act, 2025 recently signed into law by President Tinubu, has arrived with answers, and some surprises. Whether you’re a first-time shareholder or a seasoned real estate investor, these new rules will affect how your investment gains are taxed

👉 Full Story here: Nigeria’s New Tax Rules for Investors: A Simple Guide

Top 10 Rental Businesses to Launch in 2025

The rental economy has transformed from a niche market into a trillion-dollar industry that shows no signs of slowing down.

Side hustlers, passive income seekers and entrepreneurs are discovering that rental businesses offer one of the most sustainable paths to building recurring revenue streams while meeting the growing demand for access over ownership.

Here’s a curated list of rental businesses to explore in 2025 and beyond.

👉 Full Story here: Top 10 Rental Businesses to Launch in 2025

Till Next Saturday,

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