Lagos begins prosecution of 45 tax defaulters over billions owed

By Adenike Ayodele

The Lagos State Government has commenced prosecution of 45 individuals and corporate entities over alleged tax defaults running into billions of naira, signalling a renewed crackdown on non-compliance with tax obligations.

The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, disclosed this in a statement on Monday, noting that the defendants had been arraigned before the Lagos Revenue Court for the recovery of outstanding tax liabilities.

According to him, the affected individuals and companies were assessed for various sums, with some owing tens and hundreds of millions of naira.

Among those listed are Chidi Ajaere Emmanuel, with an alleged liability of N35.4 million; Ifeanyi Uzoaru, N13.5 million; and Mrs Olufunmilola Abe, N30.7 million. Corporate entities include IENG Nigeria Ltd. (N67.1 million), Venture Garden Nigeria Ltd. (N72.3 million), and Sheriff Deputies Ltd., which tops the list with N132.2 million.

Others facing prosecution include GMT Energy Resources Ltd. (N145.9 million), Funds & Electronics Transfer (N97.8 million), Raybond Technical Ltd. (N61.8 million), and Centre for Management Development (N48.2 million), among several others.

Pedro explained that the legal action followed the failure of the defendants to comply with tax obligations despite being duly assessed, adding that the move is aimed at enforcing fiscal discipline and boosting revenue generation in the state.

He, however, revealed that some defaulters who were earlier served pre-action notices had since settled their liabilities and would no longer be prosecuted.

The Attorney-General urged residents and corporate organisations to comply with tax regulations, particularly in filing annual returns and paying assessed dues promptly.

“Failure to comply attracts penalties, interest and possible prosecution with attendant consequences,” he warned. (NAN)