FIRS director arrested for tax fraud

FIRS-revenue-house

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested Abumere Joseph Osagie, deputy director, regional tax office, Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, in a case of abuse of office and bribery.

The suspect was arrested following a complaint about his attempt to extort a university proprietor N5million, a statement by the spokesperson for the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, said Friday.

Mr. Osagie and one Jamila Ojora had on January 27 allegedly approached Ahmed Datti, the Chancellor of Baze University, Abuja, and gave him a tax assessment of N20,029, 496.00 through a letter of intent, which he paid.

However when he requested for the assessment certificate, they refused to oblige him.

Instead they allegedly demanded N5million gratification.

All pleas by him fell on deaf ears, the EFCC said.

“Consequently, he petitioned the EFCC, and was advised to play along,” Mr. Uwujaren said. “Consequently, marked N5million was delivered to the director through Ms. Ojora in a sting operation. Ojora was arrested after she collected the N5m. Her confession led to the arrest of Mr. Osagie.

“The houses of the suspects were searched by operatives of the EFCC , and documents recovered. Investigations continue.”

DOWNLOAD THE PREMIUM TIMES MOBILE APP

Now available on

  Premium Times Android mobile applicationPremium Times iOS mobile applicationPremium Times blackberry mobile applicationPremium Times windows mobile application

TEXT AD:DIABETES Is CURABLE! Don't Let It Threaten You! To NORMALIZE Your Blood Sugar In 21Days For Life, Click Here!!!.

All rights reserved. This material and any other material on this platform may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, written or distributed in full or in part, without written permission from PREMIUM TIMES.

  • growthengine

    Nice one.

  • PolyGon2013

    Kudos to EFCC.

  • tundemash

    That is the way to go!
    CHANGE ! We know it will take time for teh wailing wailers to realise there is a new sheriff in town but we must be steadfast and ignore their tantrums.

  • Dazmillion

    More of this please, especially at the local government level with their undocumented council tax.

  • StormRider1

    Wow…. Our anti-graft agencies have really turned a the leaf to ensure graft is defeated and Nigeria is rid of corruption. Kudos to President Buhari’s administration and Efcc so far!

  • Peter_Edo

    e don set!

  • hyperbole123

    they should take a flamethrower though that FIRS. almost all of them are criminals! yet they get paid so well officially

  • ilesanmi

    Good for this thin gods at FIRS.
    However the whistle blowing must not exempt the blower from his tax liability, just because he he blew the whistle. The “negotiation” could have been the result of tax payer’s attitude towards tax. He must be made to pay every well established tax liability, before we pat hi on the shoulders.

    • ConScience

      Please read carefully sir…”Mr. Osagie and one Jamila Ojora had on January 27 allegedly approached Ahmed Datti, the Chancellor of Baze University, Abuja, and gave him a tax assessment of N20,029, 496.00 through a letter of intent, which he paid.

      However when he requested for the assessment certificate, they refused to oblige him.”

      Thank you sir

      • ilesanmi

        You are right.
        However, the old pussy cats in this game may see beyond what they have told us. You might find out that the amount allegedly paid by the tax payer might not be the true “original assessment” but “a negotiated revised assessment” which now stands as official final assessment and the N5m alleged bribe could just be the price of the “understanding”. You will agree with me, there is no way a tax officer could demand any form of gratification if the tax payer accepted and defrayed as assessment without objection/negotiation/reconciliation. The enlightened tax payer just pulled the fast one on the “egunje” team………..

  • Ahanuwa Igbinosa

    Good job. Is at this levels of government that corrupt extortions are every day oppressive realities to all Nigerians. Bureaucratic corruptions are as much anti-development as politicians corruptions, If not more.