Woman Survives Revenue Terrorists beating In Nnewi , Children Terrorized

About six revenue officers attached to Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra state at the weekend beat a woman to stupor at No 16, Garvey Okongwu street for her failure to allegedly produce her business premises payment receipt.   

It took the intervention of sympathizers and onlookers who quickly administered first aid treatment on the unconscious victim of revenue collection terrorists before she was revived.  

​At another shop on the same street, the revenue collectors met a young apprentice (Names withheld) of about 19 years old in a hair dressing salon. When they demanded for the payment receipt from the girl, she told them that her mistress was not around and urged them to repeat their visit. The young girl's treaties however fell on the officials deaf ears as they beat her pulp and blue after which they started packing everything in the salon.

The revenue officials who practically turned the shop upside down said that the only condition with which they can allow the girl be is if she can cough out a supposed fine of five thousand naira.

Her story , “ I had no choice than to borrow money from my neighbor to pay them so I can collect my things back from them, they even destroyed some of my belongings, I taught they would give a receipt to me to that effect but they did not, I bear everything as if we are in a war situation." She stressed amidst sobs.

 Another victim, Wale Tiamiyu a tailor from Osun State who was also bruised by the revenue collectors has this to say “The revenue collectors came to my shop three months ago, demanding for receipts of payment. I showed them all the receipts I have but they said it was not complete and they started packing my sowing machines and clothes I was given by my customers. They packed goods that runs into thousands of naira, as we talk they are still in custody of these items. There was also a day they came but I was not around they met my pregnant wife and rough handled her." He claimed

Another Seamstress, Mrs. Amarachi Nwaechi who also got some harsh treatment from the revenue collectors passionately pleaded with the state and Nnewi North Local Government Area to rise to their help as the attack dogs sent out to collect revenues for them are making life miserable for them.

 “There was a day they came and I pleaded with them to come another day they refused I even offered to show them my previous payments, telling them to come the following day because I did not have money now but they would not listen to me instead they started to force open my protector which I normally lock so that my little kids will not go out to play on the main road. When they realized that they could not force it open, they then started packing the clothes I sow for people.

These heartless government officials tore the cloths they could not readily remove from my hanger. They could not collect them because of the way we display them, they started tearing the clothes. At a time they were throwing stones, big sticks into my shop and in the process wounded my kids. My little baby girl was hospitalized, some of my apprentice also did not escape the rampaging revenue collectors." Mrs. Nwaechi recounted.

Asked ​on why she was not paying her levies, dues and taxes, the 26year old Seamstress said that she always pay her levies and other payments promptly but added that the problem shop owners are facing in the industrial town of Nnewi is multiple taxation and all manner of levies which she believe are not really instituted legally by various levels of government.

 "We pay Business Premises levies which is two thousand naira, Anambra State Waste Management fee that one is six thousand naira, Small Scale Entrepreneur fee two thousand naira, Fire Service fee takes three thousand naira from our purse and they recently added new ones under all kind of nomenclature, so in this type of hostile environment, how do one take care of other responsibilities like children's school fees, electricity bills and others in that regard."

  Mrs Nwaehi observed with worry that the ruthlessness the revenue officials go about their business got to a madness point as soon as they realized that the yuletide was fast approaching. 

Mr. Ernest Nkurumeh a stakeholder in the town whose shop is on the same street said “I was in my shop when I saw what the officials were doing to those women, I had to come out and help stop the fight before somebody get killed. I saw the officials throwing stones and stick into the woman's shop and I had to scold the officials telling them that they stop beating up a married woman."

He advised the government to regularize its Internally Generated Revenue system to avoid a situation where the ones sent out take advantage of the traders who are just struggling to make ends meet. " Our people are being killed in the north, they run back home to start afresh only to be frustrated by over zealous revenue collectors, so where do they want us to flee to?"  

Photo : Cancer Awareness campaign of ASA-USA women wing