Benue: Alia seals Ortom’s Oracle Business Limited over N130m tax debt

The Benue State Government has sealed Oracle Business Limited and its subsidiaries over alleged tax evasion amounting to N130 million owed over the past five years.

Addressing journalists during the enforcement exercise, the Acting Executive Chairman of the Benue State Board of Internal Revenue, Sunday Odagba, stated that the action was aimed at recovering tax revenue from all corporate entities indebted to the state government.

He denied allegations of political persecution raised by Oracle Business Limited, which claimed the tax liability was a tactic to shut down the company. The company had argued that the amount had been reviewed to N38 million, which they had already paid.

Oracle Business Limited further alleged that their premises were sealed due to the company’s ownership by former Governor Samuel Ortom.

However, state tax officials clarified that Oracle Business Limited had failed to pay taxes for five years, accumulating a debt of over N130 million, and had also ignored multiple invitations for reconciliation.