FIRS Director Arrested for Tax Fraud
Olaoluwa Folalu
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested Abumere Joseph Osagie, deputy director, regional tax office, Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, in a case of abuse of office and bribery.
The suspect as narrated by the agency spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren was picked following a complaint about his attempt to extort a University proprietor N5million.
Osagie and one Jamila Ojora had on January 27, 2016 allegedly approached Senator Ahmed Datti, the Chancellor of Baze University, Abuja and gave him a tax assessment of N20,029, 496.00 through a letter of intent, which he paid.
However when he requested for the assessment certificate, they refused to oblige him.
Instead they allegedly demanded for N5million gratification. All pleas by him fell on deaf ears.
Consequently, he petitioned the EFCC, and was advised to play along.
The agency gave marked N5million which was delivered to the director through Ojora in a sting operation.
Ojora was arrested after she collected the N5m and his confession led to the arrest of Osagie.
The houses of the suspects were searched by operatives of the EFCC, and documents recovered.