Abia State seals Globacom offices over alleged N4bn tax default

The Abia State Government has sealed the Umuahia and Aba offices of telecommunications giant Globacom Limited over allegations that the company failed to remit more than ₦4 billion in taxes owed to the state.

The enforcement action was executed by the Abia State Board of Internal Revenue Service (ABIRS) following an order issued by the High Court of Abia State.

In a statement released on Thursday, the Deputy Director of Information at ABIRS, Mrs. Emelle Akunna Loveth, disclosed that the move stemmed from Court Suit No. HU/225M/2025 between the Abia State Internal Revenue Service and Globacom Limited.

According to her, the court, in an order dated January 14, 2026, directed Globacom to pay the sum of ₦4,048,748,880. The amount represents unremitted Right of Way withholding taxes and other statutory obligations covering the period from 2010 to 2022.

The court further ordered that interest be paid on the outstanding sum at a rate of 10 per cent per annum, calculated from the time the taxes became due until full settlement.

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In addition, the court granted a distraint order against the company’s goods, chattels, and premises within Abia State. This empowers ABIRS to enforce recovery measures and, if necessary, dispose of distrained assets after a 14-day period to offset the liabilities, in line with the Abia State Tax (Codification and Consolidation) Law, 2020.

Mrs. Loveth explained that the sealing of the offices in Umuahia and Aba was carried out strictly in compliance with the court’s directive, emphasising that the state government remains committed to due process and lawful enforcement of tax obligations.

She stressed that the Abia State Government expects all corporate entities operating within its jurisdiction to fulfil their statutory responsibilities, adding that ABIRS is open to engagement with Globacom once the company complies fully with the court’s order.

As of the time of filing this report, Globacom Limited had not publicly responded to the development.