Just In: Kogi Government seals Union Bank branches over tax default

The Kogi State Government today, Friday September 4, sealed all branches of Union Bank of Nigeria, UBN in Kogi State, Fresh Angle International can report.

The State Government said the action was in line with a Court Judgment obtained from the State High Court.

The Director, Legal Services, Kogi State Internal Revenue Service, KGIRS, Barrister Isa Jamil, who made the disclosure during a chat with Our Kogi Correspondent in Lokoja earlier today, explained that on August 21, 2020, the High Court of Kogi State, granted an application of the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service, to distrain the premises of Union Bank of Nigeria PLC on the account of her default in the payment of tax liability owed Kogi State Government by the bank, totaling One Hundred and Forty Seven Million, Three Hundred and Forty Three Thousand, Four Hundred and Seven Naira, Thirty Two Kobo (N147,343,407.32).

The Director, Legal, also told This Newspaper that the premises of the bank across Kogi State were therefore sealed in pursuant to the said Court Order.

Barrister Isa Jamil further explained that UBN on its part, then filed a motion before the Kogi High Court, seeking to set aside the Order of distrain.

According to him, the Court heard the application on the 26th of August, 2020 and in a well-considered ruling, the Court dismissed the application of the UBN for lack of merit.

The Director, Legal added that in 2019, UBN filed a case before the Tax Appeal Tribunal, TAT sitting in Jos, disputing KGIRS assessment notice of the same liability, but on the 29th of July, 2020 the TAT found at the end of the hearing of the case that UBN is liable to Kogi State Government and directed the bank to pay the said amount immediately, but UBN failed to comply with the Judgment of TAT.

He noted that since the case of UBN was dismissed, the distrain of the premises of the bank will continue until the liability of the bank is fully settled.

The Director Legal however, hinted that the state is also looking at other lawful options to ensure that the liability is settled by UBN, without further delay.

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