Economy
illegal revenue collectors in Benue state to be treated as armed robbers

Benue state Governor, Samuel Ortom has warned that those behind the act will be treated as armed robbers when apprehended.
The Governor said those who carry weapons to cajole innocent Nigerians to part with their monies on the roads and markets in the name of tax should not be treated otherwise because they are robbers.
The Governor who sounded the warning Monday in Makurdi while signing into law the amended Benue Internal Revenue Administration Law advised those indulging in the act to steer clear of the state or be ready to face the music.
He explained that revenue collection in the State had been contracted to consultants and urged interested persons to work with them, stressing that anyone caught operating illegally will be treated like a criminal.
The Governor acknowledged the decline in revenue generation in the state and the need to improve on all areas to be able to cater for the needs of the state.
He said: “We will not tolerate the criminality people commit by illegally mounting blockades on our roads and extorting people. Sometimes they also carry weapons to harass their victims.
“We will not have that on our roads because they are nothing but armed robbers and when caught they would be treated as such. So I advise those behind this act to stop it and those who know them should advise them stop it henceforth.
“There are designated points that the staff of Benue Internal Revenue Service, BIRS, mount their checkpoints and these points as known; anything outside that is certainly not of the Board.”