The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Kogi State Command on Wednesday paraded three suspects for criminal activities in the state.
The suspects are 52-year-old Musa Bala and Muhammed Usman 32-year-old and 34-year-old Abba Sabo.
Two of the suspects were arrested for illegal collection of revenue and sales of tickets in the state while the third person was arrested for conspiracy, vandalization and receiving stolen property along Wada Road Ganaja village in Lokoja.
While parading the suspects, the spokesperson of the command, Abdullahi Aliyu, noted that the officers of the command will continue to ensure the enforcement of the ban on illegal revenue collection by the state government.
Speaking further, Aliyu said this is an offence of “criminal conspiracy and illegal collection of revenue” which he said is against the law of the state.
He noted that the suspects were arrested in the act while selling tickets to motorcycle riders at the Paparanda Square in Lokoja the state capital.
According to Aliyu, the offence was committed on Tuesday 11th February, 2025.
He added that the suspects will be charged in court after the completion of an investigation.
The spokesperson added that on 10th February, one Friday Stephen vandalised the AEDC installation and sold the proceeds to Abba Sabo a scavenger and upon the arrest of Abba, Friday Stephen escaped to an unknown destination.
Speaking with Tribune Online, Musa Baba who is one of the suspects, said he obtained the tickets from one El-Bashir who claimed to be an accredited revenue consultant to the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KGIRS).
He, however, said that he was not aware that the tickets he obtained from the said El-Bashir were from the wrong person.
Speaking also after the suspects were paraded, a director of KGIRS, Emmanuel Yusufu, KGIRS Director of Income Tax, said the only accredited revenue consultant known to the agency is A’S Consulting, headed by Adebayo Daramola.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Revenue Nasir Rahman Ichanyi, warned all those parading themselves illegally as revenue consultants to desist from the act or be prepared to face the full wrath of the law
Recall that the state government in January had banned all illegal collection of Revenue and sale of tickets by unauthorized persons and direct security agencies to ensure compliance.
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