Personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps deployed for the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State have complained over the alleged refusal of the authorities to pay their allowances, despite the election being held more than 10 days ago.

Six thousand NSCDC officers, including those from neighbouring states like Ekiti, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Lagos, Edo, and Delta, were part of the security deployment for the election.

The aggrieved officers, some of whom spoke anonymously to The PUNCH on Monday, expressed frustration over the delay in receiving their allowances, especially since other security agencies, like the police, had already been paid.

They highlighted economic challenges in the country and described the delay as unnecessary.

One aggrieved personnel, who spoke anonymously to our correspondent, lamented that the delay in the allowance payment was uncalled for.

He said, “Those of us who participated in the Ondo election have not been paid till now. Our counterparts like the police have received theirs already. The economy is not friendly.”

Another NSCDC operative also dissatisfied with the delay simply asked, “Please help us ask the Commandant General why we are yet to be paid.”

In response to the complaints, NSCDC spokesperson, Babawale Afolabi, stated that he had met with the Deputy Commandant General Operations and the General Commandant to address the issue.

According to Afolabi, the management informed him that the officers deployed for the Ondo election had already been paid their allowances on the field.

“I just met with the Deputy Commandant General Operations and the General Commandant over the issue. I learnt that the officers that were deployed for the Ondo election have been paid. They were paid on the field,” he said.

Operatives of the Lagos Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested 10 suspected internet fraudsters.

The Spokesperson of the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, said this in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

According to Oyewale, the suspects were arrested on November 22, at Adewale Estate and Sea Side Estate in the Badore axis of Lagos State.

“Their arrest followed credible intelligence on the activities of some members of an organised cybercrime syndicate suspected to be involved in computer-related fraud.

“Items recovered from them include exotic cars, mobile devices and mobile phones.

“The suspects have all volunteered their statements,” he said.

Oyewale said they would be charged to court as soon as investigations were concluded.

The Kano State Internal Revenue Service (KIRS) on Monday sealed the head office of Nigerian airline, Max Air Limited and two other companies in Kano over unpaid liability taxes spanning several years.

Max Air, prominent airline company, was shut down for allegedly failing to settle taxes owed between 2012 and 2017.

The head office of Dantata and Sawoe Construction Company, located along the Kano-Zaria road, was also sealed for allegedly refusing to pay N241.2 million in Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) and withholding taxes for 2021 and 2022.

Similarly, the Northern Rice and Oil Milling Nigeria Ltd at Gunduwawa Industrial Estate was closed due to a N600,000 tax liability.

Ibrahim Abdullahi, the Director of Debt Management and Enforcement at the Kano Internal Revenue Service (KIRS), stated during a press briefing following the operation that the closures were carried out after the companies repeatedly failed to comply with notifications to settle their outstanding tax debts.

“This action was taken following a court order secured by the agency. These companies were given ample opportunity to settle their liabilities, but they refused to comply, leaving us no choice but to seal their premises,” Abdullahi said.

He stated, “We conducted an enforcement operation to ensure that all tax liabilities are paid promptly, as discrepancies in tax payments were identified by our enforcement team.

“The agency deemed it necessary to take this step to compel compliance after several correspondences failed to yield positive responses from the affected parties.

“This action is also crucial to ensure that all revenue due to the state is collected, thereby strengthening the state’s revenue base.”

Abdullahi added that similar enforcement exercises would continue to remind tax defaulters of their obligations.

He further stated that the sealed companies would remain closed until they settle their outstanding debts.