Officials of Lagos Inland Revenue Service, pick on market woman over tax

A typical food market

Officials of the Lagos State Inland Revenue Service today closed down shops of market women in Mile Twelve market who owe tax arrears.

The sections affected are shops from the fly-over under which Muslims observe their prayers, down the vegetable section towards Ketu.

The women sell mostly food items ranging from Cray fish, dry fish, rice, beans and okro.

The officials closed that section with a long rope tied round the areas affected.

 The action nearly resulted into a fight between a particular male officer of the service and a Yoruba boy, the son of one of the affected women.

The Inland Revenue man who felt the boy was arrogant in the way he talked to them, raged with anger, and threatening to slap the boy and subsequently get him arrested.

The officer said, he would show the boy that he is bigger than him.

It took the plea of women and others to calm the officer.

One of the affected women who spoke in Igbo language said although the service officials gave them prior information to pay up, too much levies imposed on them by the local government and other bodies, eat deep into their business capital, thus making it difficult for them to delay the tax payment.

Our correspondent however went to other sections who said they have been paying tax.

Lagos state government had expanded its tax collection to cover the informal sector of the economy, thus explaining why market women and others , including business men and women are now made to pay tax.