AfriPulse
The Abia State Harmonized Task Force (ASHTF), in collaboration with the Office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), has uncovered a network of fake revenue agents operating across Aba, leading to the arrest of suspects and the recovery of N766,000 illegally collected from unsuspecting residents.
The operation, which took place at Block 6, Green House, Osisioma Local Government Headquarters, followed a directive from the Special Adviser on IGR, Mr. Emmanuel Okpechi, who had earlier embarked on a monitoring and sensitization tour in response to numerous reports of fraudulent revenue demand notices circulating within the state.
During the exercise, Mr. Okpechi, accompanied by the Revenue Agent in charge of Osisioma, Mr. Chimezie, and the Director of Operations (Revenue), went from house to house to verify the authenticity of demand notices served to property owners and the legitimacy of the payment channels being used.
Their findings confirmed the existence of fake revenue agents who had been issuing counterfeit notices, illegally impounding properties, and collecting cash without remitting through the official government channels.
Acting swiftly on intelligence, the Harmonized Task Force raided the Osisioma LGA premises and arrested two suspects and two victims. According to the victims, the fake agents not only issued them falsified demand notices but also threatened enforcement actions when payments were not made. It was further discovered that several other individuals had their assets seized unlawfully, without any court order or authorization.
A total of N766,000 in cash was recovered from the suspects, believed to have been extorted from multiple residents. The suspects are currently in custody and undergoing investigation.
Speaking after the operation, Hon. Uche Wogu, the Aba Area Coordinator of the Harmonized Task Force confirmed that the crackdown followed an alert raised by the Chairman of the Abia State Board of Internal Revenue (BIR), who had detected a surge in fake demand notices.
He lamented the growing number of impersonators posing as government agents and vowed to sustain the fight against illegal revenue collection.
“There are more fake IGR collectors than genuine ones,” he said. “From today, anyone caught collecting money without authorization or remittance through official channels will be arrested and prosecuted.”
He also appealed to the Board of Internal Revenue to publish a comprehensive list of all approved agents to help identify legitimate collectors and guide the public.
In his remarks, Mr. Emmanuel Okpechi, the Special Adviser to the Governor Otti on IGR, condemned the fraudulent activities, describing them as a direct sabotage of the state government’s revenue reform efforts under Governor Dr. Alex Otti.
He emphasized that the illegal cash collections pose a serious threat to the transparency and credibility of the newly introduced electronic revenue system.
“These fake agents are a distraction to the good work our Governor is doing in Abia State,” he stated. “Government funds are sacrosanct and must be used for the people. Anyone tampering with them will face the full wrath of the law.”
Mr. Okpechi commended the Harmonized Task Force for their proactive role in uncovering the fraud and reaffirmed his commitment to continued collaboration to sanitize the state’s revenue system.
“We will continue to work hand in hand with the task force to expose and dismantle every illegal revenue network across the state,” he assured.
Also speaking, the Spokesperson of the Abia State Harmonized Task Force, Comr. Miracle Chukwunenye urged residents to be vigilant and verify all payment requests before making any transaction.
He advised the public to always demand electronic receipts generated from the government’s official revenue app after every payment, noting that any agent requesting cash is most likely fake.
“Once they ask for cash and can’t print an electronic receipt from the revenue app machine, it’s fake, don’t pay,” he warned.
The spokesperson further revealed that the Abia State Board of Internal Revenue, in partnership with the Abia State Orientation Agency and the ASHTF, is preparing to launch a statewide sensitization campaign aimed at educating residents on how to identify and report fake agents.
He concluded by urging all residents and business owners to make payments only through verified government channels, reaffirming the administration’s zero-tolerance stance on revenue fraud and corruption.
Source: TheWhistler | Read the Full Story…
