About 100 shops at the Lady Victoria Aguiyi Ironsi Shopping Plaza in Umuahia were sealed by the Abia State Board of Internal Revenue for alleged failure to pay taxes, with official ribbons and court orders authorizing the action.
A notice posted on one of the sealed shops stated that the owner had failed to pay the required tax on time, citing an order issued by a Senior Magistrate Court Grade 1 on April 15, 2025.
The accompanying document from the Board of Internal Revenue further indicated that the court directed the defendant to pay N15,200 owed to the board, in addition to a separate fine.
The notice warned that the premises must not be reopened without proper authorisation.
When visited at about 10:30am, the shopping plaza was filled with traders loitering outside their locked shops.
Some were seen making efforts to contact officials of the revenue board in hopes of resolving the matter and reopening their businesses.
The affected traders expressed shock and frustration, criticizing the revenue agency’s move as high-handed, arguing that sealing the entire plaza penalized not only defaulters but also those who had fulfilled their tax obligations.