Gombe State government, on Monday, sealed two branches of Access Bank in Gombe metropolis for allegedly defaulting in tax payment between 2008 and 2018.

Chairman of the State Internal Revenue Service, Malam Abubakar Tata, who led the operation, said that the bank owed the state government N118 million.

Tata said that the agency had served the bank demand notice, stipulating the amount to be paid, adding, however, that it failed to respond.

He explained that the bank, rather than paying the amount or raising objection, rushed to the Tax Appeal Tribunal in Bauchi, with the agency followed up until a ruling was given.

The chairman said that the judgment, which was delivered last Thursday, dismissed the case and ordered the bank to pay the sum or have its property sealed.

He said that the two branches of the bank in Gombe metropolis would remain sealed until the financial institution complied with the judgment.

“If I get alert today or right now, in a matter of minutes, the bank will be re-opened but the N118 million is final and conclusive,” Tata said.

Tata said that the outstanding amount was arrived at after a tax duty audit was conducted by a consultant from 2008 to 2018.

He appealed to all tax-paying entities and organisations in the state to comply with the rules set out by the State Revenue Qualification and Consolidation Law.

The chairman added that non-payment of tax was limiting government resources which should have been used to deliver good governance to the people.

A customer with the bank, Mr. Suleiman Baba, who expressed dissatisfaction with the bank for not paying tax, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the situation was unfortunate.

Baba expressed the regret that it was the customers who were suffering for the bank`s failure to pay the accrued tax duty.