Tax default: Lagos drags 45 firms, individuals to court

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Governor Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State

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By Henry Ojelu

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LAGOS — The Lagos State Government has initiated legal proceedings against 45 corporate bodies and individuals over alleged tax liabilities running into billions of naira, as part of a renewed crackdown on defaulters.

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The suits, filed before the state’s Revenue Court, are aimed at enforcing compliance with extant tax laws and recovering outstanding revenues.

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Among those sued are Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, operators of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two.

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Official records indicate that Bi-Courtney Aviation Services is allegedly owing N38,701,954.25.

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Other major debtors listed in the suits include GMT Energy Resources Limited, with liabilities exceeding N145.8 million, and Sheriff Deputies Limited, which is said to owe over N132.1 million.

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Also named are Heyden Petroleum Limited, AA Rescue, Primero Transport Services Limited, IENG Nigeria Limited, James Fisher Nigeria Limited, V Care Diagnostics Limited, Venture Garden Nigeria Limited, Saro Africa International Limited, and Barry Callebaut Nigeria Limited, among others.

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Some media companies were also mentioned in the suit.

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Speaking on the development, the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Lawal Pedro, SAN, said the decision to approach the court followed repeated notices served on the affected entities, which were largely ignored.

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He noted that while individual tax liabilities range between N13.5 million and N35 million, corporate organisations account for the bulk of the outstanding sums.

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According to him, the government was left with no option but to resort to litigation after the defaulting taxpayers failed to fulfil their statutory obligations or utilise available windows to regularise their tax status.

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Pedro stressed that the enforcement exercise forms part of broader efforts to strengthen tax compliance and boost internally generated revenue required for infrastructure development and delivery of essential public services.

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He, however, clarified that taxpayers who complied with pre-action notices and settled their outstanding liabilities would not be subjected to prosecution.

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The Attorney-General further urged residents and business owners to adhere strictly to tax regulations by filing annual returns and settling assessments promptly, warning that persistent default would attract penalties, interest, and possible legal consequences.

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