OCHA Brigade parades over 17 illegal revenue collectors in Anambra

Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra, OCHA Brigade, has paraded over seventeen illegal revenue collectors arrested across major flashpoints in the state.

The parade took place at its headquarters in Awka, on Saturday.

The suspects were young men between the ages of twenty and forty-five who were moving around with dangerous weapons and patrol vehicles fraudulently written government of Anambra State and AIRS while defrauding members of the public of their property and goods mostly in Onitsha Metropolis.

Parading the suspects, the Public Relation Officer of the agency, Mr Anthony Onyekwelu revealed that in line with the law establishing the agency, it has been on top of its game in carrying out the mandate of the government and described its job as an interface between government policies and implementation.

Mr Onyekwelu noted that some unscrupulous individuals are bent on scuttling Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s vision of making the State a prosperous and livable homeland but assured that the agency will not relent in making the State unconducive for illegal revenue collectors and individuals who are bent on sabotaging the efforts of the state government.

He commended Governor Chukwuma Soludo for reducing the tax to be paid by commercial transporters, explaining that the move shows the administration as one with a human face and the Managing Director of the agency, Mr Celestine Anere, for his dogged fight in riding the state of revenue thieves.

Some of the suspects: Mr Ifeanyi Odili who claimed to be a fashion designer at Bridge Head Onitsha, Martin Okwudili from Enugu State who claimed to be a staff of a brewery company in Onitsha and Mr Ifeanyi Nte from Nkpor all pleaded not guilty to the allegations levelled against them.

They claimed they were never caught with tickets or money and appealed for proper investigation as they all have legitimate means of livelihood with proper identifications.

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OCHA Brigade parades over 17 illegal revenue collectors in Anambra