…warns other businesses to comply or face similar sanctions
From Abdulrazaq Mungadi, Gombe
The Gombe State Internal Revenue Service (GIRS) has sealed the MTN Nigeria office located at Buba Shongo, in Gombe metropolis, over alleged failure to remit taxes owed to the state government.
The enforcement, which took place on Tuesday, was part of a statewide compliance drive targeting corporate tax defaulters. The GIRS enforcement team, acting under the authority of state tax laws, executed the closure following what it described as prolonged and deliberate noncompliance by the telecommunications giant.
Speaking during the exercise, the Executive Chairman of GIRS, Aisha Adamu, stated that the agency would no longer tolerate tax evasion and warned that any business operating in the state without fulfilling its tax obligations would face similar sanctions.
She said, “this is not an isolated case. Sealing of business premises is a lawful step in our enforcement toolkit. Taxpayers, individuals and organizations alike must understand that compliance is not optional”.
She added that the move is not punitive but aimed at reinforcing the culture of voluntary compliance, which is essential to safeguarding the state’s internally generated revenue used for critical infrastructure and public services.
Recounting similar actions, GIRS referenced the recent closure of Amina Inuwa Hall, another defaulting business entity, as a precedent for the ongoing clampdown. The agency reiterated that enforcement measures will be sustained until there is a shift towards full compliance among the business community in the state.
“We are not driven by sentiments or favoritism. The law is clear. Pay your taxes or face the consequences,” the GIRS chairman declared.
Adamu further urged all businesses, large and small, to regularize their tax status to avoid disruptions, noting that voluntary compliance remains the agency’s preferred approach, as she emphasized the agency’s commitment to upholding transparency, fairness, and strict adherence to the rule of law in executing its mandate.
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