The Gombe State Internal Revenue Service (GSIRS) said it has arrested several persons allegedly involved in the illegal collection of taxes from motorists and haulage operators across the state. The Executive Chairman of the agency, Mrs Aisha Adamu Yaro, disclosed this on Thursday while briefing journalists on the activities and achievements of the agency between January and June 2026. She said the agency had arrested “a lot” of persons allegedly involved in the illegal collection of taxes, adding that some had been prosecuted while others remained under investigation. She, therefore, cautioned transporters and other business owners against paying taxes or levies to individuals who accost them on the highway. Mrs Aisha said the collection of haulage taxes at roadblocks had been abolished, stressing that any person collecting such payments on the highway was acting illegally. She said the development was part of the ongoing tax reform aimed at eliminating multiple taxation, harassment of transporters and illegal revenue collection, which she said had contributed to the rising cost of goods and services. “The collection of taxes on the highway is totally abolished. No one is allowed. It is illegal to mount any roadblock on any highway to collect taxes from heavy trucks or any other person,” she said. She urged transporters operating in and out of the state to refuse payments to unauthorised individuals, saying approved taxes could be paid online or to properly identified IRS personnel. According to her, the state government introduced the single haulage system to reduce the number of points at which transporters are required to make payments and prevent unnecessary disruption of the movement of goods. She explained that haulage charges were determined by the size or tonnage of the truck, adding that the highest approved levy was N12,800 for a 30-tonne truck. The GIRS chairman added that the government was particularly concerned about illegal collections along highways because of their impact on the prices of goods transported from one part of the country to another. She explained that the tax reform was designed to eliminate such illegal payments and ensure that transporters were not repeatedly stopped and forced to pay different levies during their journeys. Mrs Aisha also disclosed that the agency had stopped using vendors and agents to collect taxes, saying only authorised personnel were now permitted to collect revenue on behalf of the service. The GSIRS boss added that the agency has generated over N20.7bn in revenue in the first six months of 2026, as the agency targets about N39bn before the end of the year. She said its annual revenue target for 2026 stood at about N39bn, adding that more than N20.7bn had been generated as at July 31. According to her, the GSIRS had continued to record year-on-year growth in internally generated revenue, as a result of improved tax administration, staff training, collaboration with relevant stakeholders and increased compliance by taxpayers.
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