The acting chairman of the Benue State Board Internal Revenue Service (BIRS), Emmanuel Agema, has verified that two trucks of palliative aid were intercepted by thugs, who proceeded to attack the drivers involved.
Agema explained that the thugs impersonated revenue officials at a collection point near Aliade, Gwer East Local Government Area in Benue State, where the unsuspecting drivers transporting palliative aid from Adamawa to the eastern region encountered their ambush.
Speaking to members of the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Benue, under the leadership of chairman Emmanuel Anstwen, Agema remarked: “The hoodlums stopped the vehicles, broke their windscreen and stole the sum of #200,000 from one of the drivers at the illegal tax collection point.
“Since I assumed duty as acting Chairman of BIRS, my biggest challenge is the activities of illegal tax collectors and so far 35 persons have been charged to court.
“On assumption of duty, we also terminate revenue contract, close revenue leakages about 90 percent, we are now using our staff making us generate more revenue for the state.”
Agema confirmed that two persons had been arrested and transferred to the Department of State Services (DSS) pursuant to the governor’s instructions for a thorough investigation to uncover those involved in illegal tax collection within the state.
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