Two legal practitioners, Bala Dakum and Nurat Usman, have petitioned the Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Aliyu, over alleged extortion levelled against the Joint Tax Board (JTB).
Dakum, a principal partner, and Usman, a counsel, in the law firm of B.I. Dakum & Co, in two letters jointly signed by them, also petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun.
It would be recalled that the Income Tax Management Act, of 1961, created the JTB and charged it, primarily, to ensure uniformity of standards and application of personal income tax in Nigeria.
The lawyers, in the letters dated March 25 and March 19 to ICPC and police heads, which were made available to newsmen, yesterday, urged Aliyu and Egbetokun to thoroughly investigate the activities of JTB.
They alleged that JTB engaged in harassment, extortions and unlawful impoundment of vehicles under the guise of implementation of the Single Inter-State Road Tax Stickers (SIRTS) and Single Haulage Fee (SHF) by JTB.
In a letter addressed to the ICPC chairman, the lawyers said that they “are solicitors to Paben MBC Ltd, and on whose instructions we petition you.”
They said the company, a limited liability firm, is duly registered under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), 2020, and is into haulage businesses with Solomon Obodeh as its Chief Executive Officer.
