Officials of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, yesterday, Thursday, May 12, sealed off the NICON Luxury Hotel and also NICON Insurance both in Abuja owned by businessman, Jimoh Ibrahim over unpaid taxes.
Both companies are said to be owing N392,623,765.00 as tax liabilities to the Federal Government.
The development paralysed business activities at both companies as guests, customers and members of staff were asked to vacate the premises of both organisations.
For instance, at the NICON Luxury Hotel which is one of the biggest hotels in the city centre of Abuja, the gate leading to the hotel was sealed by the operatives from the FIRS.
As a result, it was difficult for people to have access to the hotel.
At the entrance of the hotel’s reception, the FIRS pasted two notices that the hotel had been sealed because the management did not perform its tax obligations.
One of the notice read, “SEALED; FIRS.” It has the logo of the revenue agency.
According to the warrant the FIRS used in sealing the hotel, the hotel is alleged to be owing about N392, 623,765.00 in unpaid tax liabilities.
The amount is said to consist of the Company Income Tax, Education Tax, Withholding Tax and Value Added Tax between 2009 and 2013.
It was, however, learnt that the management of the hotel initially disputed the figure and resisted its being sealed.
But FIRS team went ahead to seal the hotel and ordered it to evacuate its guests.
Members of staff who had reported to work were forced to leave the premises owing to the closure of the hotel.
While some of them who had reported for morning shift were seen discussing the development in groups, others just left the premises.
The closure of the hotel also disrupted some business meetings which were going on at some of the halls.
The enforcement team were said to have given the organisers of the meetings few hours to wind up their programme.
The spokesperson for the FIRS, Mr. Wahab Gbadamosi, said that the service was carrying out enforcement exercise across the federation.
“What we are doing is part of our tax enforcement exercise and this is expected to cover all the states of the federation,” he said and refused to speak further.
The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, had warned the management and members of staff of the FIRS to brace up towards achieving its N4.95tn revenue target for 2016.
