The Benue State Internal Revenue Services, BIRS, says it has arrested four illegal tax collectors in Makurdi, the state capital.
The agency disclosed that the arrests were made in collaboration with officers of the Nigerian Hunters and Forest Security Services, NHFSS, and the Nigeria Police Force.
This was disclosed in statement distributed to journalists in Makurdi by the Media Officer of BIRS, Jacinta Bernard.
Bernard said the four suspects were apprehended while extorting money from petty traders at the Lafia Park located in the North Bank area of Makurdi.
She said the criminals claimed to be staff of the Makurdi Local Government Area Market Committee constituted to collect revenue in parks and markets.
She said the claims of the suspects were immediately verified through a phone call to the caretaker chairman of Makurdi Local Government Area, James Dwem, who disowned them.
Bernard insisted that the suspects were on their own as the agency was not aware of such operations in the local government area.
She stressed that the agency has zero-tolerance for criminality and will continue to tackle extortion, corruption and illegal tax collection with the view to fish out bad elements.
