The Akwa Ibom State Internal Revenue Service (AKIRS) on Thursday shut Keystone Bank and Heritage Bank along Abak and Ikot Ekpene Roads respectively, tax liabilities amounting to over N228 million.
Leo Umana, AKIRS director in charge of Enforcement and Debt Recovery, said the banks were sealed after the board obtained an ex-parte order of notice at the Akwa Ibom State High Court.
He noted that the sealed banks were given warning notices but failed to comply after several months after Heritage Bank owed a total of N100, 270,910, while Keystone Bank is indebted with N128, 413,882 to the state government as tax liabilities.
“The court order was signed by Justice Effiong Effiong who ordered that access to the bank premises and its facilities are restricted. The two banks have not been remitting actual tax from employee salaries as well as other taxes meant for the state”.
According to him, under the law, the banks that are served the notice to restrain have 14 days to negotiate with AKIRS and vacate the order.
“If, after 14 days, they do not comply, we have the mandate of the court to sell the property and recover the tax owed the state,” he said.
