Business premises in Abia sealed over N15.7m tax

Six business premises, one at Umuahia and five at Aba have been sealed on the orders of the Abia State High court for failing to discharge their tax obligations totaling about N15, 707, 190 .25 to the state government through the state Board of Inland Revenue (BIR) in line with the relevant provision of the extant state Tax law.
 
The six premises were those of Gina Hotels, Umuahia, Redeemers International Schools, Aba, Ronway Hotels, Aba, Chief Nnamdi Orji, Aba, Todac Specialist Clinic & Diagnostics, Aba and Fruity -Woods Hotels , Aba.
 
The owners /operators of the businesses were found guilty of non remittance of N625,091.00, N6,205,638,.73, N 4,663,824.00,  N2,708. 000.00, N 460,046,84 and N 3, 371, 905.68 taxes respectively totaling about N15, 707, 190 . 25 to the state when allegedly due, despite demands to do so.
 
While Justice K. O. Wosu signed the order to seal the Fruity – Woods Hotels Aba premises, the state Chief Judge, Justice Onuoha Ogwe signed the orders to seal the other five after.

The Justices gave their sealing orders separately after hearing the separate suits brought before their courts by the Abia Board of Internal Revenue Service against the six dfendants at different times.
 
Reacting, the Executive Chairman of the state BIR Dr. Udochukwu Ogbonna urged corporate organizations and individuals in the state to always fulfilling their tax obligations timeously to avoid prosecution stressing that sealing of premises of tax defaulters would subsist.