An Ebonyi state business man, Honorable Ugwumba Chukwuemeka from Unwana in Afikpo South Local Government area, has cried out to the public and the state government for intervention and justice after acclaimed tax force members vandalized his business centre and assaulted his family.

In a video shared on the internet, Mr Chukwuemeka who stated that he runs a printing press at No. 15 Brekembery street in Abakaliki, the capital of the state, narrated how two tax force teams mandated him to pay the same fee twice.

According to him, there is an advert fee that abakaliki LGA collects from them and he had been faithful in paying it without defaulting.

Until last year when Mr Chukwuemeka stated that another group of people from Abakaliki Capital Territory Board came for the same payment.

Luckily, he said they met the Abakaliki LG team collecting the same fee and they had a fight which was taken to the governor and he settled with them directing the people who had been collecting the tax to collect it (Abakaliki LG team).

After the governor settled the issue, the right team, according to the victim, went back and he paid them off.

However, earlier this year, 2025, the LG team came for the same payment and since he wasn’t able to pay immediately, he demanded an extension and was issued a receipt.

Meanwhile, the Capital Territory team would come at a later time to demand the same payment which led to a disagreement and the victim’s goods worth over 8 million naira were vandalized, his siblings and mother beaten up.

He added that the team took his brother away to an unknown destination and they would later find out they were not police officers but civil defence corps.

Mr Chukwuemeka said; “I want to bring to the notice of his Excellency, Governor Francis Ogbonnaya Nwifuru and the public at large on what is going on in Ebonyi state.

“I believe the governor is not aware of what is happening in Ebonyi state.

“We operate a printing press in Abakaliki and we have been faithful in paying our tax.”

In his narration, he noted that the Capital Territory Board team never showed up again after the last fight which involved the state Governor, until February, 2025.

He added; “The abakaliki LG people came again and I promised a day in which we’ll pay the money and we were given a receipt before they left.

“Then, the other people from the capital territory came at a later time for the same payment which we told them that we cannot engage ourselves in double taxation and we refused to pay the money.

“We simply asked them to resolve the issue with either the state governor or the people in charge to stop the LG people from collecting the money of which they usually seize people’s properties if they failed to pay.

“Meanwhile, on Wednesday, 24th July by 4pm, the Capital Territory Board came and demanded to see a receipt of payment for advert fee and luckily I was around when they came so I showed them what they asked for.

“They were accompanied by two armed men on mofti and when I asked them if they were from the police, they said yes.

“I tried explaining to them that I would come to their office the next day so we could resolve the issue because I could not afford double taxation.

“However while I was still trying to negotiate, one of the armed men said ‘don’t you people remember what we came here to do? Let’s do it’.

“At that point, more than 5 boys pushed their way into my shop and started destroying my goods worth over 8 million naira.

“When my mom who was in the shop came out to beg them, the armed men whom we later discovered were civil defense officers when we went to Abuja….pushed my mom, tore her dress and beat up my brother and sister making away with my laptops and computers.”

Mr Chukwuemeka has called on all including the state government to address the rising extortion by task force team in the state so as to not deprive the state of future investors and further development.

He added; “I’m calling on the general public and the good people of Ebonyi state and to call the attention of the state governor whom I’m sure is not aware of such level of wickedness.

“One of the men who came on the errand said he is the governor’s brother and no one can do anything to him.

“If this thing continues, we will not have people to come and invest in our state.

“They took my brother to where we don’t know.

“I already went to the police command to make petitions but I need the general public and the good people of Ebonyi state to be aware of this development.”