Barely two weeks after one of the branches of First Bank plc in Ankpa in Kogi State was attacked by armed robbers, the state government has descended on the entire operations of the bank in the state by sealing off all it branches for defaulting in tax payment put at about N411.12m.
The government action followed the order of Kogi State High Court sitting in Lokoja.
First Bank unfortunately has had the misfortune of having many of its branches in Kogi State shut down because of incessant robbery attacks. In the whole of Kogi West Senatorial District it branches in Lokoja, Kabba and Obajana are the only functioning. The Branches in Ayetoro Gbede, Isanlu, Mopa, Iyamoye and Odo Ere have been shut down because insecurity
The closure was effected by Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KGIRS) following the inability of the bank to liquidate its outstanding tax liabilities of over N411.12 million to Kogi State Government.
Barrister Saidu Okino, Director, Legal Services at the KGIRS, told newsmen that the money represents outstanding withholding tax from the bank’s mobile banking agents from 2015 to 2022.
He said that the action of the board was due to refusal of the bank to liquidate the liability despite several demand notices to that effect.
Okino also said that approaching the court was as a last resort as all other measures to make the bank pay up proved abortive.
He added:” Before we went to court, there was a demand notice to that effect dated 12th day of October 2021 and signed by the then acting chairman, Abubakar Yusuf. We made several attempts we sent them a notice of the intention of the service to take a warrant of distrain so that we can do whatever is needful on 25th day of February 2022 but it was ignored.
“On the 25th of August, 2022 Notice of Refusal to amend their liability was served on them. We did not on our own roll out our machinery to go and seal.
According to him, the service (claimant) had to approach the court through a Motion Ex-parte number HC/457M/202, dated August 29 and filed August 30th, 2022.
He said the service prayed for an order of the court to execute Warrant of Distrain against the defendant by her goods, chattels, bonds, security or any other property.
It also sought restraint upon the land, office, business premises or place of management of the defendant (First Bank Nigeria Limited)’s offices in Lokoja, Okene, Kabba, Ajaokuta and any other movable property of the defendant found Within the jurisdiction of Kogi State.
The presiding judge, Justice Rukkayat Ayoola in her ruling granted all the reliefs sought in the Motion Ex-parte supported by an eight-paragraph affidavit and deposed by Mohammed Ibrahim, a civil servant.
“The order for the defendant’s failure and/or refusal to liquidate her debt to Kogi State Government in the sum of N411,120,966.77 is the outstanding tax liabilities owed the Kogi State Government for the years 2015 to 2020 is hereby granted”, Ayoola said.
