Revenue board, police partner against illegal tax collections

The Joint Revenue Board, under the leadership of its Executive Secretary, Mr Segun Adesokan, has announced a strategic partnership with the Nigerian Police Force to combat illegal tax collection and dismantle roadblocks mounted for the purpose of tax collection across the country.

Speaking during a high-level engagement with senior officers of the Nigerian Police Force, Adesokan emphasised the Board’s mandate to ensure uniformity, transparency, and efficiency in revenue administration across Nigeria.

The executive secretary, in a statement from the agency on Sunday, reiterated that ongoing tax reforms championed by the President, Bola Tinubu, are designed to promote fairness and economic growth by focusing on taxing prosperity rather than poverty, and profits rather than investments.

A major highlight of the reforms, he said, is the prohibition of illegal tax practices that have long burdened businesses and citizens, particularly along transport corridors.

He recalled that the JRB, at its 158th meeting in December 2023, had issued a communiqué banning the mounting of roadblocks for tax and levy collection, as well as the use of unauthorised tax stickers nationwide.

Further reinforcing this stance, Adesokan disclosed that a Model Harmonised Taxes and Levies Act, already passed by 15 State Houses of Assembly and under consideration in others, criminalises cash-based tax collection, illegal roadblocks, and the involvement of non-state actors in revenue collection on public roads.

“These unlawful practices not only harass citizens but significantly increase the cost of goods and services, as transporters are forced to pass on illegal charges to consumers,” he stated.

To address this challenge, the JRB has proposed the establishment of a joint national task force in collaboration with the Nigerian Police Force. The task force will operate across all states, working closely with revenue authorities to identify, dismantle, and prosecute illegal tax operators.

In response, a representative of the Inspector General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abdul Suleiman, mni/DIG Finance and Administration, welcomed the initiative and reaffirmed the Inspector General of Police’s commitment to supporting the JRB. The Force acknowledged the economic and security implications of illegal roadblocks and assured that Commissioners of Police across all states would collaborate fully with the Board and the Chairmen of Sub-National Tax Authorities in the 36 states and the FCT to eliminate this menace.

The Police also emphasised the need for a balanced approach, combining enforcement with stakeholder engagement, to address the root causes of illegal tax collection, including the involvement of some local authorities.

Both institutions agreed to develop a comprehensive implementation strategy to ensure the success of the initiative, marking a significant step toward improving Nigeria’s business environment and safeguarding citizens from unlawful taxation.

Part of the delegation are Isyaku Mohammed, PhD/DIG Training and Development; Kenechukwu Onwuemelie/DIG Force Intelligence Department; Fayoade Adegoke Mustapha, mni/DIG ICT; and Umar Shehu Nadada, mni/DIG Department of Operations. On the JRB side is the Acting Executive Chairman of the Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service, Michael Ango.