Law enforcement authorities in Benue state have apprehended five individuals involved in operating illegal checkpoints across various parts of the state, where they unlawfully collected federal haulage taxes from heavy-duty trucks, businesspersons, and road users.
The arrests took place in Otukpa, located in the Ogbadibo Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue state. The recently constituted Taskforce on Illegal Taxation, under the leadership of Mr. Emmanuel Agema, the acting Chairman of the Benue Board of Internal Revenue (BIRS), executed the arrest of the gang members at their operational base during the weekend.
In a statement issued by Jacob Suswam, the Media Assistant to the acting Chairman, it was revealed that the recent arrest followed the earlier apprehension of another gang comprising eight members by the Taskforce in Konshisha and Vandeikya Local Government Areas (LGAs).
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The special operation undertaken by the Taskforce aligns with the firm commitment of the acting Chairman to eliminate any unauthorized checkpoints along the state’s highways and eradicate any illegal practices associated with revenue collection in the state.
Recall that Mr. Agema during his visits to heads of the security agencies in the state to seek their alliance after his appointment, noted that ‘road taxes are collectable by the state government as enshrined in the extant laws, and the law has no recognition for the operators of federal haulage, which is completely illegal.’
During the late hours of the same day and the early hours of Saturday, the Taskforce team conducted a decisive operation by dismantling and setting on fire several illegal checkpoints found at Amaafu and Katsina-Ala town in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area (LGA). The operators of the checkpoints hastily fled upon sighting the Taskforce team.
The objective of the operation was to eradicate the existence of illegal checkpoints that had been erected by unruly individuals for their own self-interest, involving the illicit extortion of money from road users. The intention was to restore a safe and lawful environment for road users.