Igbo Traders Protest As Govt Seals off Shops, Banks In Ekiti

 Igbo Traders having shops along Secretariat Road, Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital on Tuesday staged a  protest against "outrageous taxes" slammed on them by the Ekiti State government.

They also protested against the way the government had closed down over 100 shops belonging to their members, thereby subjecting them to unwarranted hardship.

During the action, a branch of Zenith Bank and NNPC retail petrol station were shut down by officials of the Board of Internal Revenue, who carried out the operation, aimed at generating more revenues to the coffers of the State .

The traders marched from their shops to the BIR headquarters opposite Old Governor's Office and sang derisive songs tom press home their demands .
 
Special Adviser to the Governor on Revenue, Ropo Ogunjobi, was not on seat at the time the Igbo traders invaded the BIR headquarters.

The Igbo traders claimed that they had entered into an agreement with BIR for a tax rate of N5,500 only for the officials of the tax agency to storm their business offices Tuesday morning claiming that the agreed tax no longer subsists.