The Anambra state government has arrested three persons over alleged illegal ticket sales, tax and levy collections.
The alleged illegal tax collectors who aged between forty-five and fifty, operate within the Ekwulobia market axis.
The arrest carried out by the state Ministry of Trade, Commerce, and Industry, is in line with the state government’s directive and fight against defrauding of traders in markets across the state by
hoodlums who claim to be working for government or private bodies.
Addressing newsmen at the Jerome Udorji Secretariat Awka shortly after the exercise, the state Commissioner for Trade, Commerce and Industry, Dr. Christian Mmadubuko who described the act as criminal said that the Ministry has handed them over to Police and the suspects would be charged to court.
Dr. Mmadubuko disclosed that the state government decided to cancel payment of all levies for three months in markets around the state to harness the collection of internally generated revenue for optimal returns, regretting that the state has lost huge amount of money to illegal tax collectors which according to him has led to continuous dwindling of the state IGR.
He said that over seven hundred persons have been prosecuted already by the state government over the illegal act, and explained that it will continue to do so until sanity is brought to the system.
In his reaction, the leader of the team, Mr. Francis Eze who pleaded not guilty, explained that he bought the land at about Five point two million naira, and have invested over three million naira in building about twenty-two stores on it .
He explained that he rented it out to oil sellers in the area who were formerly staying along the expressway, claiming that he has authorization from the Aguata Local Government Council .
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