Former Governor of Benue State, George Akume, who is now a senator, and his wife, Mrs. Regina Akume, were disgraced on Thursday when the enforcement team of Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, sealed off a five star hotel belonging to them.

According to the FIRS team led from Abuja by Chinazor Edeh, the hotel, HAF HAVEN Hotel, located at No24 Aitku Abubakar Way, Makurdi, was sealed off over unpaid tax.

Edeh said the hotel refused to remit VAT to government since 2011, a development he said was unpatriotic.

The hotel was owing about N13,518,493.00 unpaid tax liabilities, this is based on a Warrant of Distrain used by the FIRS team to seal it off.

It was gathered that the amount was made up of unpaid/unremitted liabilities of the hotel in Company Income Tax, , Withholding Tax and Value Added Tax between 2011 to 2016.

Edeh gave the management of the hotel 30 minutes to do the payment before executing the warrant on them.

Sealing off the hotel was a heavy task for the FIRS team as the management of the hotel led by Mrs. Margaret Hinger insisted that they are not owing federal government such amount.

”We have already paid the sum of N700,000.00 to the tax office in Makurdi and am appealing to you to unseal our hotel as we are willing to pay the over N13 millions,” Mrs. Hinger stated.

We learnt that when Mrs. Hinger put a call to Mrs. Akume who is the Chief executive officer of the Hotel to speak to the leader, but Edeh refused to speak to her on the phone and insisted that unless payment of the full tax liabilities is paid, nothing will stop the execution of the Warrant.

According to Mr. Edeh, ”I am ordered  by my boss, the Chairman of FIRS  Mr. Fowler to seal off the hotel and and am under instruction not to speak with anyone on phone. Please pay the money so we can leave your premises”

The team ordered the Hotel to discharge its guests and the enforcement team locked up the gates while workers of the hotel instantly closed for the day.

Consequently, when the period of grace granted to the hotel management elapsed, the enforcement team has no choice but to proceed with the sealing and closing down of operations at the hotel.

The team left a part of the entrance to the hotel opened for guests who may not be in when the warrant was executed and may return to pick their properties later.

The team warned the security officers at premises that no business should be allowed to take place inside the premises until the payment of the tax liability.

Below are photos taken at the scene: