Ebonyi arrests five illegal revenue collectors revenue

Ebonyi State Government on Monday raided Ebonyi State international market in Abakaliki the state capital and arrested five fake revenue collectors

The Guardian gathered that the raid was carried out by the Members of the state Internal Revenue Board(IRB) and men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in different locations of the market.

The board also flagged-off the automation of e-ticketing for commercial motorcycles and Tricycle operators to checkmate crime and close revenue leakages in the state.

The Chairman of the State Revenue Board, Chief Christopher Omo-Isu noted that the profiling of commercial motorcycles and Tricycles in the state will reduce crime and stop double taxation.

He said with the profiling and automation of revenue generation, any operator that uses the vehicles to commit a crime would be traced, arrested, and prosecuted.

Omo-Isu said that the new innovation will reduce touting in the markets, streets, and major roads of the state as the operators would be expected to go to registration points to register within two weeks after which enforcement will commence.

He urged the people of the state to key into the new system that would bring sanity and safety to the revenue drive and reduce the fight between the touts and the cyclists/operators.

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The Leader of the Revenue Board team  Emmanuel Elechi who is also in charge of ICT on the board said that the arrest was based on incessant violation of Governor Nwifuru’s directive of exempting petty traders and vegetable sellers from revenue payment.

“We are determined to flush out illegal revenue collectors who bet on tarnishing the image of the board. We must adhere strictly to the directive of the Governor to allow the petty traders and vegetable sellers to do their business without paying tax,” Elechi said.

“Our governor in his wisdom knows what the poor are passing through and decided to reduce the hardship but some people are sabotaging the gesture in a bid to enrich themselves. We cannot tolerate that, we shall continue to arrest them and prosecute them to serve as a deterrent to others.”

Items recovered from them include, some booklets of receipts and cash already collected from poor women and children selling sachet water, vegetables, and other petty items.