Sam Ikeotuonye 24 August 2017, Sweetcrude, Lagos – The Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, has shut MRS Oil’s facility in Lagos over alleged tax default.
The debt stands at N497.1 million, and the FIRS said the closure of the facility was part of its drive to ensure full recovery of tax debts nationwide.
An FIRS team, headed by Mrs. Anita Erinne, sealed off the company’s premises at 2,Tin Can Island Road, Apapa, Lagos on Wednesday.
A statement by the FIRS, however, indicated there was a drama before the sealing off could be effected.
According to the statement, the chief security officer of MRS Oil directed security guards to prevent the FIRS team from proceeding beyond the company’s reception area. It said there was a two-hour argument during which the oil company’s workers refused to leave their offices as ordered by the FIRS officials.
The statement added that when the argument ended, Erinne ordered the main gates to the company to be sealed off.
The FIRS said it has also visited and sealed off other companies on the same issue of tax debts.
“The team also visited Kaplan International College Limited situated at 1, Adeola Odeku Street, Victoria Island, which was also sealed over a N50.5 million tax debt,” the statement also said.
Prior to the visit to MRS Oil, the FIRS team had, on Tuesday, shut the premises of Amyn Investment Limited at 21/25 Broad Street, Lagos, which tax debts is put at N12.5 million.
The statement further stated that the team also visited and sealed off Floorenzo West Africa Limited, situated at 6, Boyle Street, Lagos, over its N310 million debt.