The Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KGIRS) has alleged that tax defaulting mobile telecom service providers are pressuring the authority to unseal their offices.

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

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

The Acting Executive Chairman of KGIRS, Alhaji Sule Saliu-Enche, however, said in Lokoja that “no amount of blackmail could stampede the authority to unseat 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,” he claimed.

Salihu-Enche decried the situation where corporate organizations would use individuals and other organizations 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.

“Also various personalities and organizations have approached us to unseal the premises but as I said, no amount of blackmail can stampede us into unsealing the two offices.

Pantami laments increasing rate of cyber attacks in Nigeria

“We expect maximum cooperation from all those doing business in Kogi to be committed to paying their taxes to the government,” he said

Salihu-Enche, therefore, called on the management of the two firms to comply and come forward to settle their liabilities for a free atmosphere conducive to doing business.