Business owners at Festac Town, Amuwo Odofin, Local Government Area of Lagos State, have decried the illegal activities of the officials of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), located at First Avenue, Festac Town.

Speaking at a press conference at the weekend, the spokesman of the association, Kunle Adigun, alleged that oftentimes, the officials service led by one Muhammed come to harass, intimidate and extort them, even when they are yet to recover from the losses they incurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Adigun, the said Muhammed and his team usually come with over-bloated bills and ask the business owners to pay and if they would not, they should ‘settle’ him or he would seal up their business premises.

He said that it is because the harassment, intimidation and extortion have become unbearable that they decided to cry out to the Lagos and Federal governments for them to know what is going on in Festac Town.

According to him, since the outbreak of COVID-19, they have been struggling in their businesses, adding that for the officials of FIRS, First Avenue, Festac Town, to be coming to extort them is nothing but adding salt to their injury.

Adigun said that what business owners need at this point in time is tax holiday to help them recover from the consequences of the pandemic and not harassment, intimidation and sealing up of their business premises.

His words: “We, the business owners association in Festac Town, passionately appeal to the Lagos and Federal governments to save us from the hands of the officials of Federal Inland Service, First Avenue, Festac Town, extorting team, led by one Muhammed. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been suffering, our businesses have been struggling. We are not even breaking even, let alone making profit and yet this Muhammed and his team always come to harass, intimidateus with over bloated bills and telling us that it is either we pay or ‘settle’ him and if not he will seal our business premises. If you come to Festac Town, you will see seal signs everywhere. What we need at this point in time is tax holiday to help us to recover from the consequences of COVID-19 pandemic and not harassment and extortion from Muhammed and the members of his team.”