Benue: BIRS Impounds 14 trucks carrying ilmenite over tax evasion

The Benue State Internal Revenue Service (BIRS) has impounded 14 trucks transporting Ilmenite (Titanium-Iron Oxide) mined from Kwande local government area of Benue State.

Leading a team of Police officers to Adikpo, Emmanuel Agema, the Acting Executive Chairman of BIRS, FCTI, CNA, accompanied by the Director of Enforcement, Titus Ningir, and the Director of Tax Assessment, Titus Aondoakaa, stated that the trucks were seized for failing to pay the required and appropriate taxes as stipulated in the Benue State Revenue Administration Law.

Agema expressed concern about the lack of transparency in the miners’ activities, which he observed hampers accurate tax assessment for the companies involved. He urged the field staff of the service to conduct independent investigations to ensure proper assessment of taxpayers within their respective areas of jurisdiction.

In a related development, the Benue State Government has announced plans to scrutinize the data of mining operations in the state, aiming to address the insecurity issues associated with illegal mining.

Barr. Fidelis Mnyim, the Benue State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and Public Order, disclosed this during an on-the-spot visit to some mining sites in Kwande following the impoundment of trucks by BIRS for tax evasion.

Mnyim, who also serves as the Benue State Chairman of the Mineral Resources and Environment Management Committee (MIREMCO), highlighted the committee’s efforts to ensure that Benue maximizes the benefits of its abundant mineral resources through the 13 percent derivation. He added that the committee is engaging with all licensed miners in the state to ensure proper documentation and to root out illegal miners, often linked with insecurity issues.

Also present at the mining sites visited were the BIRS Acting Executive Chairman, Hon. Stephen Uta, the Principal Special Assistant to the Governor on Solid Minerals, Mining, and Forestry, and the Caretaker Chairman of Kwande local government, Mark Hule. They all expressed dissatisfaction with the prevailing insecurity in the communities where the mining companies operate.

The delegation also met with traditional rulers in the area for further discussions on these matters.