Kaduna govt seals 5 banks, businesses over N1.7bn debt

The Kaduna State government on Tuesday sealed four banks and other business premises in the state over a “Land Use Charge debt” of N1.7 billion

It also sealed the prominent Hamdala Hotel over a N115 million debt.

The affected banks and businesses were – Unity Bank, FCMB, Zenith Bank, Bank of Agriculture (BOA) and Chicken Republic, all located along Yakubu Gowon Way in the Kaduna Metropolis.

Others were – Forte Oil, New Nigeria Development Company, GT Bank parking lot and A.G. Leventis building.

In a chat with journalists the Board Secretary and Legal Adviser for the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service (KADIRS), Aysha Ahmad, said the enforcement exercise was in line with the powers vested in the agency by Section 104 of the Personal Income Tax Act.

READ ALSO: Lagos govt seals RCCG, C&S churches, nightclub over noise pollution

She added that the exercise was backed by Section 24 Sub-Sections (1,2 and 3) of the Kaduna State Tax Codification and Consolidation Law, 2020 as amended.

Ahmad said the accumulated land-based revenue (LUC) liabilities were established by the Kaduna State Geographic Information Service (KADGIS) .

According to her, KADIRS had sent notices to the businesses without positive responses or compliance.

She said: “So, we have to resort to enforcement to collect what is due for the state.

“A court order for the immediate closure and taking over of the entire properties until all unpaid land-based revenue liabilities are settled had been secured.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now