The Edo State Government has announced plans to seal the offices of several organizations—including federal government parastatals and private companies—for allegedly defaulting on tax payments. The affected establishments include NPDC, Barnsley International Company Ltd, Ossiomo Power, Okpella Cement (Dangote Group), 7 Up Bottling Company Ltd, and Nigerian Bottling Company Ltd. These entities are said to have failed to pay property tax, ground rent, and tenement rates.
According to sources close to the state government, the decision to sanction the defaulters stems from their non‑compliance with the Edo State Land Use Charge law, despite repeated reminders. The law, aligned with Section 30 of the Edo State Land Use Charge, requires companies to pay a consolidated land‑based tax that covers property tax, ground rent and tenement rates. An enforcement notice was issued to the defaulting companies on 24 July 2025 and published in national dailies and on social media. Once the notice expires, the government will seal the premises of the delinquent firms.
The move is part of a broader effort to recover outstanding land‑use charges and to sanction recalcitrant defaulters, thereby fast‑tracking infrastructural development across the state, as emphasized by Governor Monday Okpebholo. The government has already sealed several commercial premises in Benin metropolis for breaching the Land Use Charge law, and the next round of enforcement is expected to extend beyond Benin to the Edo North and Central Senatorial Districts. Targets will include financial institutions, filling stations, trading companies, private residences and other entities.
Tunde Eigbiremolen, Director of Media for the Edo State Geographic Information Service, praised companies and individuals who consistently pay their taxes without reminders, assuring that the government will reward such compliance. The sealing of offices belonging to tax‑defaulting organizations represents a significant step toward enforcing tax laws and generating revenue for the state’s development.
Comments are closed for this story.