10/12/2010 06:31
EDO AGENCY SEALS OFF MORE BANKS OVER ALLEGED TAX EVASION
The Edo State Board of Internal Revenue (BIR) has sealed off the premises of two more old generation banks over alleged non-remittance of tax.
The development came barely 24 hours after the revenue agency closed down all the premises of a new generation bank in the state over default in tax remittance to the state government amounting to N155 million.
On Tuesday, the revenue agency sealed off the entire branches of Bank PHB in Edo State and a popular motor spare-parts market, Evwareke. The traders were alleged to have failed to remit their Personal Income Tax and Pay As You Earn in the past three years.
The Revenue Board Chairman, Ese Owie, on Wednesday said the two old generation banks: Afribank and Wema Bank, owed the state government N235 million tax liabilities. He said Afribank owed the sum of N229 million while WEMA Bank was sealed off due to N6 million it was yet to pay the government.
The two banks, he said, had failed to respond to its call to remit the monies. “It is not our style to embarrass corporate organisations operating in the state, but it will be fair for them to also perform their responsibilities in terms of remitting their Personal Income Tax and the PAYE. Nobody will be allowed to carry any tax liability to 2011. All liabilities must be paid before the end of the year”, he said.
“We found out that these people have not been paying to the state government what is due to it. We started by auditing their accounts and discovered that they have not been remitting their Personal Income Tax and PAYE appropriately to the state government. That was the same reason we sealed off Bank PHB. And we will continue until they pay all liabilities owed government. This money is what the governor needs to develop the state and we must all encourage the government in that direction by paying our taxes”, Owie added.
Meanwhile, some armed robbers numbering about 15 have attacked the branch of a new generation bank along Igbe Road, Etasako-West Local Council, where they carted away undisclosed sums of money and killed a police inspector.
The incident was said to have occurred at around 9.05 a.m. and lasted for over one hour during which customers at the bank and students of Auchi Polytechnic who had gone to pay their school fees and other charges were robbed.
A few hours after the incident, another set of robbers attacked travellers from Okenne in Kogi near Agbede just a few metres from a police checkpoint. The travellers, who were on their way to Onitsha, had to turn back as they were emptied by the robbers.
The hoodlums were said to have gained access to the bank through the back door in disguise while the bank’s usual activities were going on. Some of the polytechnic students who were in the banking hall paying their school fees were said to have sustained various degrees of injuries while scampering for safety.
Also, a motorcyclist was hit by a stray bullet from the robbers. The dead police inspector was the leader of the reinforcement team sent to quell the robbery attack.
Area Commander of the Nigeria Police in Auchi, Andy Amiengheme, who confirmed the report, reiterated police readiness to always protect lives and property of the citizenry.
The development came barely 24 hours after the revenue agency closed down all the premises of a new generation bank in the state over default in tax remittance to the state government amounting to N155 million.
On Tuesday, the revenue agency sealed off the entire branches of Bank PHB in Edo State and a popular motor spare-parts market, Evwareke. The traders were alleged to have failed to remit their Personal Income Tax and Pay As You Earn in the past three years.
The Revenue Board Chairman, Ese Owie, on Wednesday said the two old generation banks: Afribank and Wema Bank, owed the state government N235 million tax liabilities. He said Afribank owed the sum of N229 million while WEMA Bank was sealed off due to N6 million it was yet to pay the government.
The two banks, he said, had failed to respond to its call to remit the monies. “It is not our style to embarrass corporate organisations operating in the state, but it will be fair for them to also perform their responsibilities in terms of remitting their Personal Income Tax and the PAYE. Nobody will be allowed to carry any tax liability to 2011. All liabilities must be paid before the end of the year”, he said.
“We found out that these people have not been paying to the state government what is due to it. We started by auditing their accounts and discovered that they have not been remitting their Personal Income Tax and PAYE appropriately to the state government. That was the same reason we sealed off Bank PHB. And we will continue until they pay all liabilities owed government. This money is what the governor needs to develop the state and we must all encourage the government in that direction by paying our taxes”, Owie added.
Meanwhile, some armed robbers numbering about 15 have attacked the branch of a new generation bank along Igbe Road, Etasako-West Local Council, where they carted away undisclosed sums of money and killed a police inspector.
The incident was said to have occurred at around 9.05 a.m. and lasted for over one hour during which customers at the bank and students of Auchi Polytechnic who had gone to pay their school fees and other charges were robbed.
A few hours after the incident, another set of robbers attacked travellers from Okenne in Kogi near Agbede just a few metres from a police checkpoint. The travellers, who were on their way to Onitsha, had to turn back as they were emptied by the robbers.
The hoodlums were said to have gained access to the bank through the back door in disguise while the bank’s usual activities were going on. Some of the polytechnic students who were in the banking hall paying their school fees were said to have sustained various degrees of injuries while scampering for safety.
Also, a motorcyclist was hit by a stray bullet from the robbers. The dead police inspector was the leader of the reinforcement team sent to quell the robbery attack.
Area Commander of the Nigeria Police in Auchi, Andy Amiengheme, who confirmed the report, reiterated police readiness to always protect lives and property of the citizenry.
“When we heard shooting from our station, we quickly mobilised men to the troubled spot. It was the leader of the team we sent that was killed in the shot-out with the robbers”. The state Police Command Spokesman, Peter Ogboi, also confirmed the incident.
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