Five suspected illegal revenue collectors have been arrested by men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Ebonyi State at the International Market, Abakaliki.
It was gathered that the arrest was made following a raid conducted by members of the State’s Internal Revenue Board on Tuesday.
The suspects were said to be apprehended in different locations of the market collecting illegal tax from market women.
READ MORE: Ebonyi Police Apprehend Four Suspects For Organ Harvesting
Leader of the Revenue Board team, Emmanuel Elechi, said that the arrest of the suspects was based on the incessant violation of Governor Francis Nwifuru’s directive of exempting traders and vegetable sellers from revenue collection.
He said: “We are determined to flush out illegal revenue collectors who are bent on tarnishing the image of the board. We must adhere strictly to the directives of the governor to allow petty traders and vegetable sellers to do their business without paying tax.
“Our governor knows what the poor are going through and decided to reduce the hardship but some people are sabotaging the gesture to enrich themselves. We cannot tolerate that.
“We shall continue to arrest them and prosecute them to serve as a deterrent to others.”
