The Kogi State Internal Revenue Service has successfully conducted a “sting operation” in the Ofu Local Government Area, resulting in the “ambush and arrest” of three individuals allegedly operating as illegal revenue collectors. During a press briefing in Lokoja on Monday, April 27, 2026, the Executive Chairman of the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service, Alhaji Salihu Enehe, maintained that the suspects were “caught in the act” of extorting money from unsuspecting motorists and small business owners. The service argued that “illegal taxation” is a “sabotage of the state’s economy” and a “direct violation” of the “Kogi State Tax Administration Law,” which “prohibits the use of ‘touts’ or ‘unauthorized agents'” for “revenue collection.”
The “ambush” was the result of “weeks of surveillance” following numerous complaints from “traders and transporters” along the “major highways” in Ofu. Supporting context from the “Enforcement Department” of the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service indicates that the suspects whose identities are being “processed for prosecution” were using “forged documents and unauthorized roadblocks” to “intimidate citizens.” Alhaji Enehe maintained that the “taxation system” has been “fully digitalized” to “eliminate manual payments,” asserting that “any individual demanding ‘cash on the road'” is a “criminal.” The service argued that “revenue leakage” caused by “illegal collectors” is “hindering the government’s ability” to “fund critical infrastructure projects” across the twenty-one local government areas.
Stakeholder reactions to the “Ofu LGA Arrests” have been “overwhelmingly positive” among the “National Union of Road Transport Workers” and the “Kwara-Kogi Chambers of Commerce.” They have lauded the “Kogi State Internal Revenue Service” for “taking a bold stand” against “street-level extortion,” noting that “illegal levies” significantly “increase the cost of doing business.” They maintained that “security agencies” must “sustain the momentum” to “clear all illegal checkpoints” in the state. Conversely, some “local community leaders” have urged the “government” to “provide alternative livelihoods” for “youths in the rural areas,” arguing that “poverty often drives individuals” into “syndicated extortion rings.” They maintained that “enforcement must be balanced with ‘social inclusion’.”
Economic and legal analysts observe that “Kogi’s crackdown on illegal revenue” is a “strategic move” to “improve the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ index.” Experts suggest that “illegal collectors” act as a “shadow government,” diverting “billions of Naira” away from the “public treasury.” They argue that “the use of ‘ambush tactics'” is necessary to “break the ‘cartels’ that protect these collectors.” Analyst Dr. Olasunkanmi Bello noted that “Enehe is ‘sanitizing the fiscal space’,” adding that “the ‘digitalization of taxes’ is the ‘ultimate antidote’ to ‘manual extortion’.” He emphasized that “the prosecution of the three suspects” will serve as a “deterrent” to others who “view tax collection as a ‘free-for-all’ venture.”
The broader implications of this development point toward a “state-wide expansion” of the “Kogi State Internal Revenue Service sting operations.” By “arresting the illegal collectors,” the “State Government” is “reclaiming its ‘sovereign right’ to taxation” and “protecting the ‘disposable income’ of its citizens.” This move is expected to lead to “increased voluntary compliance,” as “taxpayers see that their money is going through ‘official channels’.” As the “three suspects” prepare to “appear in court” later this week, the focus remains on “identifying the ‘big bosses'” who “finance and organize” these “illegal revenue points.” For the “motorist in Ofu,” the “ambush” is a “victory for justice” and a “promise of a ‘tax-friendly’ environment.”
