About 100 shops were sealed on Thursday by the Abia State Board of Internal Revenue over the alleged failure of their owners to pay taxes.
The affected shops, located at the Lady Victoria Aguiyi Ironsi Shopping Plaza between the Tower and Aba Park area, were sealed with official ribbons and court orders authorising the action.
Traders who arrived at the plaza on Thursday morning expressed shock at finding their shops locked. According to them, agents of the Abia State Board of Internal Revenue had carried out the operation before their arrival.
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 10:30 am, 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.
However, some of the affected traders criticised the move by the revenue agency as high-handed, arguing that sealing the entire plaza penalised not only defaulters but also those who had fulfilled their tax obligations.
