Revenue Collection: NBA Expresses worry Over Arbitrary Arrest Of Aba Residents

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News Wednesday, November 27th, 2013

…Wants Governor Orji’s Immediate Intervention

Ignatius Okpara

The Aba branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has expressed worry over the alarming indiscriminate arrest of residents of the commercial city by the state government revenue agents, calling on the Governor, chief Theodore Orji to intervene in the matter.

Addressing a press conference in Aba, Tuesday, chairman of the branch, Mr. Chidozie Ogunji called on the Abia state government to check the activities of revenue agents who have made life difficult for residents of the commercial city.

“Abia state government should check the activities of revenue contractors who go about arresting residents, detaining them before they are made to part with huge amounts of money to buy freedom.”

According to the association, the agents always hide under the guise of collecting levies such as fire extinguisher levy, security fee, borehole fee, washing of tank fee, residing fee, management fee, economic fee; amongst others to terrorise residents of the city..

“These revenue contractors claiming to be working for the government storm households accompanied by gun wielding policemen to arrest women, children, boys and girls. We will no longer tolerate this cash for freedom bazaar.

“We are set to discipline magistrates who are our members involved in the issuing of these illegal summons. The cries of Aba residents have reached high heavens.”

“We hereby call on the Abia state government to please stop the activities of these persons forthwith. The people have continued to curse the government believing that these merchant of arrest s and detention for cash are working for the government when they are actually working for their pockets.

“We wish to alert the government that detention camps have been all over the place for these forced fugitives held hostage for money” NBA said.

Narrating his ordeal to newsmen at the event, Mrs Chioma Ajike, a nurse at the Hopeville Special Hospital, Aba, said she was preparing to leave the Hospital after her night duty when a revenue team arrested her and was taken to the Cameroun Barracks Police station.

According to her, it took the intervention of the full executives of the NBA Aba and some officials of the Ministry of Justice for her to be released from police detention around 3.30pm.