Mbah Abolishes Daily Market Tolls, Police Arraign 2 For Illegal Revenue Collection

Enugu State Governor, Dr Peter Mbah, on Tuesday announced the immediate and indefinite suspension of daily toll collection from those without lockup shops, declaring it illegal.

This was even as the Enugu State Police Command, on the same day, arraigned two before an Enugu Magistrates’ Court for stealing, forgery of receipts, and illegal revenue collection for the registration of native doctors in the state.

Governor Mbah gave the order to suspend daily revenue collection from petty traders at a stakeholders’ meeting on the clarification and harmonisation of revenue collection in markets across the state, organised by the Enugu State Internal Revenue Service at the Old Government Lodge, Enugu.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Prof Chidiebere Onyia, the governor said the action was in line with the new tax laws meant to support the poor, adding that a task force chaired by the SSG had been put in place to ensure maximum compliance, vowing that anyone caught collecting the 100 or 200 Naira daily toll revenue, either for the government or an individual, would face the full weight of the law.

Mbah further charged the local government chairmen, traditional rulers, market leaders, the Presidents-General, civil society organisations, and the public to report any violation of the directive to the taskforce team.

While stating that the order did not affect traders in the lockup shops, who pay 30,000 or 36,000 Naira annually, he emphasised the administration’s aversion to any actions that would escalate people’s suffering.

Meanwhile, the police have arraigned Mr Christopher Ifeanyi, aged 65, and Chinenye Ugwu, a female, before an Enugu North Magistrate Court over the registration of native doctors with forged receipts of Enugu North Local Government Area of Enugu State, presenting the same as genuine in order to defraud inspecting members of the public.

The three-count charge sheet marked MEN/153C/2026,  read, “That you Christopher İfeanyi ‘m’, Ugwu Chinenye ‘f’ and others now at large on the 31st day of March, 2026 at Enugu North Local Government Secretariat, Enugu, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit: Stealing, Forgery and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 495(a) of the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Vol. II, Revised Laws of Enugu State, Nigeria, 2004.

“That you and others now at large on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District did steal the total sum of Seven Hundred Thousand Naira (N700,000.00), property of the Enugu State Government.

“That you did forge Enugu North Local Government Receipts for registration of native doctors with intent that it may be used or acted upon as genuine, knowing same to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 436 and punishable under Section 443(1) of the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Vol. II, Revised Laws of Enugu State of Nigeria 2004.”

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges, after which His Worship O.S. Chukwuani adjourned the matter to May 8.

The Police Prosecutor was Rosemary Ojobo, while State Counsel, Onyinye Ugwu, held a watching brief for the Department of Public Prosecution, DPP.