The Ogun State Task Force on illegalities has made arrests and prosecuted several offenders for various acts of illegalities ranging from illegal mining, issuances of fake revenue tickets, hiking of ticket values and failure by commercial truck drivers to provide appropriate coverings for their goods in transit as well as unlicensed drivers.
The enforcement unit of the Harmonized Task Force on illegalities stormed the Ijebu-Ode area of the state unannounced and caught several violators who were immediately prosecuted at its mobile court.
The Leader of the Task Force, Mr Eleyowo Richard who is also the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Ogun State Ministry of Finance, said the enforcement was launched at the instance of the state government to curb the unbridled acts of illegalities by some unscrupulous elements whose activities are negatively impacting on the revenue drive of the State.
Eleyowo added that the mandate of the team was to checkmate all forms of illegalities and block revenue leakages for government to adequately provide for the needs of the people of the state.
He added that government was also more determined to sanitize the activities of revenue agents at various toll points in the state by discourage illegalities of any form towards enhancing revenue performance in the State.
Mr Eleyowo said of the arrests made, some were caught with fake government revenue receipts, some were arrested for inflating revenue tickets price while some revenue agents jettisoned government tickets and sold the tickets they have generated by themselves tthereby shortchanging government”.
“The offenders have been prosecuted according to the law at the mobile court, some were fined while some were detained depending on the degree of offences.
Meanwhile, at Ilado Ogbo Community in Ijebu-Ode, the team caught up with some illegal miners while some fled on sighting security operatives.
Mr Fola Balogun, a revenue agent,however pleaded that government should still look into the Harmonization of all taxes in the state to curb the duplicity of taxes being collected by various revenue agents contracted by the relevant government revenue agencies.
