The Kogi State Internal Revenue Service has accused tax defaulting mobile telecom service providers Glo and Airtel of pressurising KGIRS officials to unseal their offices.

The revenue service had recently sealed the offices of Globacom Nigeria Ltd. and Bharti Aitel Ltd. (Airtel) over unremitted tax liabilities.

The revenue service claimed that the liabilities are N300 million for Globacom and more than N65 million for Airtel.

KGIRS’ acting executive chairman, Sule Saliu-Enche, said in Lokoja that “no amount of blackmail could stampede the authority to unseal the offices without the payments of the liabilities.

“The liabilities of the two tax defaulting firms covered both corporate and Social Service Contribution Levy from 2017 to 2021,” said the KGIRS chair.

Mr Salihu-Enche decried the situation where corporate organisations would use individuals and other organisations to blackmail the revenue service into unsealing its business premises without paying the liability.

“Different reports about us have been in the media, but we shall stand our ground until these liabilities are paid,” Mr Salihu-Enche. “Also, various personalities and organisations have approached us to unseal the premises, but like I said, no amount of blackmail can stampede us into unsealing the two offices.”

According to him, the KGIRS expects maximum cooperation from all those doing business in Kogi to be committed to paying their taxes to the government.

Mr Salihu-Enche called on Glo and Airtel’s management to settle their debts.

(NAN)