CSO Urges Police ‎to Respect Court Order on Benue Revenue Agency

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations for Transparency in Governance (CCSOTG), has called on the Nigerian Police ‎Force to comply with the order by Justice Adam Onum‎ of the Markurdi High Court to withdraw its officers from revenue checkpoints to enable the Benue State Board of Internal Revenue Service (BIRS)-Consultants immediately resume work.

The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris had in May 2017 inaugurated a Police Special X-squad teams specifically charged with the responsibility of arresting all tax revenue officials operating on federal roads across the nation.

The Convener of the group, Comrade Sabo Ode‎ made the call at a press conference in Abuja, where he stated that the IGP’s order was stern and enforced instantly, thus, leading to avoidable confrontations with tax collectors and the Police in some states, including Benue, leading to the loss of critical revenues to states.

‎This according to the group, forced the Chairman of BIRS, Mrs. Mimi Adzakpe- Orubibi to challenge the directive of the Police in court.

Ode noted that the court last week declared that the Police is incompetent of issuing such directive and restrained its men from harassment, Intimidation and disruption of lawful tax collection in any part of the state.

Ode stated: “Like affirmed by the court, the actions of the Police in the pretense of enforcing the IGP’s order manifested in a manner that prescribed more not only to insanity, but dictatorial and undemocratic tendencies; thus arrogating to themselves the power to cripple the internal revenue generation capacity of not only Benue, but other states in the federation

“We hold this court verdict as very sacrosanct and the signpost of the triumph of good over evil for the Nigerian state. We enjoin the Police to tender a public apology to all states in the country affected by its unpopular order for the loss of revenue for the period the confrontation lasted.

“While the Benue State Government under the leadership of Dr. Samuel Ortom; the BIRS and the entire people of the state are willing to forgive the intransigence of the Police, we urged them to reciprocate the same gesture by respecting the ruling of the Court in Benue and to also apply same in other states of the country,” Ode said.

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