Niger Revenue Agency Locks Unity Bank Branches Over Alleged N1.7bn Tax Default

The Niger State Internal Revenue Service (NGSIRS) has sealed two branches of Unity Bank in Minna following allegations of an outstanding tax liability of N1.7 billion owed to the state government.

The enforcement exercise, carried out in the early hours of Friday, was led by the Director of Tax Audit and Investigation, Musa Hayatullah. The affected branches are located at Mobil Roundabout and along Paiko Road in the state capital.

Hayatullah said the action became necessary after the bank allegedly failed to comply with its tax obligations covering the 2022 to 2024 assessment periods, despite repeated notices and administrative engagements from the revenue authority.

He explained that the NGSIRS had conducted tax investigations across all commercial banks operating in the state, adding that while other banks reportedly settled their liabilities, Unity Bank allegedly failed to do so.

According to him, the agency followed due process, including assessments and notifications, before obtaining a court order to enforce recovery of the alleged debt.

He disclosed that the Niger State High Court, on June 4, 2026, granted approval empowering the agency to take enforcement action to recover the outstanding tax liabilities.

Hayatullah added that the bank did not respond to the tax assessments served on it, which led to the sealing of its premises in line with the court directive.

The revenue agency maintained that the operation was part of ongoing efforts to strengthen tax compliance and improve internally generated revenue in Niger State.

“There were a series of tax investigations carried out on all commercial banks operating in the state. While other banks settled their liabilities, Unity Bank failed to do so despite due assessment processes,” he said.

“The court judgment gave NGSIRS the mandate to distress the bank over its persistent failure to remit taxes due to the state government. The liabilities amount to N1.7 billion and cover the years 2022 to 2024,” he added.