OWERRI—The enforcement unit of the Imo State Board of Internal Revenue (BIR) has sealed-off the Owerri branch of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), over alleged non-payment of over N300 million tax, owed the state government from 2002 to 2009.

Vanguard gathered that despite stiff resistance by the CBN staff, the combined team of police and army personnel attached to the branch of the apex bank, officials of the BIR succeeded in sealing up the office.

Explaining the action of the BIR to journalists, the Interim Chairman of the Board, Dr. Rowland Madufor, said that despite the two-week grace granted the CBN to pay the outstanding bill, the management failed to pay.

“We are here to our discharge duties to the state government. The Owerri branch of the CBN has therefore been sealed pending when the branch complies with the law”, Madufor said.

Explaining where the BIR got the powers for its action, Dr. Madufor said, it was pursuant to Section 1-6 of the Personal Income tax Act Cap 8 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.