Members of the Ebonyi State Internal Revenue Board (IRB), in collaboration with personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), have successfully apprehended five individuals suspected of illegally collecting revenue from vendors at the International Market in the state.
The arrests occurred during a coordinated raid at the market, where the suspects were found in various locations collecting unauthorized taxes from market women. Among the items seized from the suspects were booklets of receipts and cash that had been collected from vulnerable sellers, including women and children dealing in sachet water, vegetables, and other small goods.
In the wake of the arrests, the market women expressed their gratitude to Governor Francis Nwifuru by singing his praises. Many of these women shared with DAILY POST that the illegal collectors had been a significant burden on their businesses, routinely demanding payments ranging from N50 to N100 daily. They reported that failure to comply often resulted in the collectors seizing their goods until the payments were made.
Emmanuel Elechi, the leader of the revenue board team and head of the board’s ICT division, explained that these arrests were prompted by a consistent violation of Governor Nwifuru’s directive, which exempts petty traders and vegetable sellers from revenue payments. “We are committed to eradicating illegal revenue collectors who threaten the integrity of the board,” he stated. “We must strictly follow the governor’s instructions to allow petty traders and vegetable sellers to conduct their businesses without the burden of tax.”
Elechi emphasized the governor’s understanding of the hardships faced by the poor, stating that the governor’s decision to alleviate some of these difficulties is being undermined by those seeking personal gain. He vowed to continue the arrests and prosecutions of such individuals to deter others from engaging in similar illegal activities.
Additionally, the revenue board has launched an automation initiative for e-ticketing aimed at commercial motorcycle and tricycle operators, a move designed to combat crime and address revenue leakages in the state. The initiative was inaugurated by Chief Christopher Omo-Isu, the Chairman of the State Revenue Board, who highlighted that profiling commercial motorcycles and tricycles would help reduce criminal activities and eliminate double taxation.
Omo-Isu explained that with the implementation of this automated revenue generation system, any operator involved in criminal activities could be easily traced, arrested, and prosecuted. He further noted that this innovation is expected to minimize the presence of touts in the markets, on the streets, and along major roads as operators will be required to register at designated points within two weeks, after which enforcement will commence.
He urged the people of Ebonyi State to embrace the new system, which aims to bring order and safety to revenue collection and to reduce conflicts between touts and motorcycle operators.
