.Imo Masses Raise Alarm
By Okey Alozie
Imo people are now living in fear because of the activities of fake revenue collectors and illegal task force members who now intimidate, harass, suppress and extort money from people on daily bases especially vehicle owners.
Our source revealed that this fake Tax collectors and illegal taskforce group operate in the morning hours and evenings within Owerri metropolis with 14 seater bus.
Eye witness account revealed that these fake collectors come with different uniforms claiming that they were authorized to arrest vehicle owners without emblems.
The funny thing is that after harassing and intimidating people, the fake collectors, demand for money not less than N5,000 as fine and no receipt will be issued to the payers.
Some time according to sources, they pretend to take their victims to office but along the road, they will stop and start asking reasonable amount form their victims to pay and go. Immediately they collect money from those they arrested, mainly the commercial bus drivers, these fake collectors will zoom off to another direction to continue their illegal work.
One of victims who spoke under anonymity to our reporter narrated his ordeal in the hands of this illegal group.
He narrated how he was beaten mercilessly when he refused to pay money for settlement, adding that the activities of this group is gradually putting government in bad light since most of them are impersonating.
A concerned citizen of Owerri who said he has been monitoring this fake collectors for more than two weeks now, hinted that they nearly met their waterloo at Wetheral junction Owerri few days ago when they nearly ran into police van carrying police men who were going for official assignment.
An eyewitness said, immediately the fake Task Force sighted the security van, they quickly turned back with speed and took the opposite direction to disappear and since then, they have not operated in that axis again.
Commercial drivers in Owerri are now raising alarm over the activities of these illegal Tax collectors and task force.
It could be recalled that the government of Imo State are making use of TSA system (Treasury Single Account System). Genuine money is being paid into the TSA and not be cash.
A financial expert who spoke to our reporter raised eyes brow on this issue and demanded that something fast should be done to stop these illegal collectors before it is too late.
The drivers said the will go on protest against these fake collectors if they continue with their act.
