Niger revenue service seals commercial bank over N1.7bn tax default

The Niger State Internal Revenue Service (NGSIRS) has sealed two branches of Unity Bank in Minna over an alleged tax liability of N1.7 billion owed to the state government.

The enforcement operation was carried out in the early hours of Friday by a task force led by the Director of Tax Audit and Investigation, Musa Hayatullah.

The affected branches are located along Mobil Roundabout and Paiko Road in the state capital.

Speaking shortly after the exercise, Hayatullah explained that the action followed the bank’s failure to settle its tax obligations covering the period between 2022 and 2024, despite several assessments and notices issued by the revenue agency.

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He said tax investigations were conducted on all commercial banks operating in the state, adding that while others complied with their tax obligations, Unity Bank allegedly failed to settle its liabilities.

According to him, the revenue service exhausted all administrative procedures before seeking legal intervention.

Hayatullah disclosed that the Niger State High Court, on June 4, 2026, granted an order empowering the service to enforce the recovery of the outstanding tax debt.

He further stated that the bank did not respond to the tax assessments served on it, necessitating the enforcement action.

The revenue agency maintained that the action was part of efforts to ensure compliance with tax laws and improve internally generated revenue in the state.

He said, “There were a series of tax investigations carried out on all commercial banks operating in the state. While other banks settled their liabilities, Unity Bank failed to do so despite due assessment processes.

“The court judgment gave NGSIRS the mandate to distrain the bank over its persistent failure to remit taxes due to the state government. The liabilities amount to N1.7 billion and cover the years 2022 to 2024.

“The bank did not respond to any assessment served on it. That is why we are here this morning to seal the premises in line with the court order,” Hayatullah added.