The Lagos State Government says it has begun the prosecution of 114 tax defaulters in the state, saying the move has forced tax evaders to come up to remit their tax arrears.
State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Adeniji Kazeem said on Tuesday in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria at a ministerial press conference that the government was going after tax defaulters in the state.
“In line with the commitment of this Ministry to provide adequate support to the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) on its mission to ensure that tax payers comply with tax laws and ensure full tax compliance through prosecution of defaulters, the Rapid Tax Prosecution Unit was set up.
“This enforcement procedure has ensured some level of compliance with tax defaulters approaching LIRS to offset their outstanding tax liabilities. So far, 87 cases have been filed at the Magistrate Court and 27 filed at the High Court and the total sum of N 26,857,933.600 generated for the Lagos State Government. 114 cases,” he said.
Kazeem also disclosed that the Citizens Mediation Centre, CMC, had considered the total number of 11,813 new cases; 6,503 matters were mediated and that a total number of 6,000 cases resolved.
He said the total value of settlement of debt related matters handled by the unit was N265, 580, 876.
Kazeem further disclosed that the community service unit of the ministry had since its introduction, ensured that non-custodial sentencing got more coverage in the State, adding that in line with the intendment of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of 2011 (ACJL, 2011), magistrates now give community service sentences to offenders who commit minor offences like street trading, loitering, prostitution, and environmental offences, in order to avoid prison congestion.
“Various sensitization programmes have been carried out in the State and in the period under review, 2,837 cases were handled by the unit,” he said.
Kazeem also said in line with the mandate of the Lagos State Government, the Mobile Court had been able to successfully reduce street trading, traffic congestion and unethical/ anti-social conducts on the roads as well as environmental nuisances thereby improving the socio-economic well-being of the residents of Lagos State.
He disclosed that within the last one year, 4, 426 offenders had so far been arraigned before Mobile Court whilst series of enlightenment campaigns had been carried to make residents aware of the need to obey traffic rules and keep the environment safe and secure.
