52 held over tax offences

The Benue State Internal Revenue Service (BIRS) has arrested 52 people for various tax offences across the 23 local government areas of the state.

Daily Trust gathered that the offenders were held for perpetrating criminal offences ranging from conspiracy, extortion, mischief as well as impersonation and forgery at illegal revenue checkpoints and unauthorised revenue collection centres within the past 10 months. 

A breakdown of the arrests and prosecutions issued by the BIRS Legal unit yesterday indicated that seven people among those arrested have been convicted and sentenced to two years in prison by a magistrate’s court in Makurdi.

36 other offenders are still under police investigation and nine remaining cases are awaiting legal advice from the Ministry of Justice for prosecution to commence accordingly.

The breakdown also showed that the highest number of arrests was made at an illegal checkpoint in Gboko LGA of the state.

Meanwhile, the chairman of BIRS, Mrs. Mimi Adzape-Orubibi, has said the board has only 11 revenue inspection points throughout the state to check tax evaders as contained in Schedule II of the Benue State Revenue Administration Law 2015, urging residents to report fake tax collectors and to keep abreast with the true tax checkpoints already in public domain.