In a continued crackdown on illegal taxation and multiple levies across Enugu State, Peter Mbah Market Monitoring Team, alongside officials of the Enugu State Internal Revenue Service, has apprehended two suspected illegal tax collectors at Obollo-Afor Market and Orie Orba Market, both in Udenu Local Government Council.
The enforcement operation was carried out today, Thursday, January 22, 2026, by a Special Taskforce under the Enugu State Market Liaison Office, led by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Market, Hon. Dr. Chinedu Mbah. The team stormed the markets following reports of unauthorized levy collection from traders.
Addressing market leaders and traders during the exercise, Hon. Dr. Mbah reiterated Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah’s zero-tolerance policy on multiple taxation and illegal revenue collection, stressing that no trader in Enugu State should be forced to pay unapproved levies to individuals who are neither authorized nor accountable to government. He described the activities of illegal tax collectors as a deliberate attempt to undermine the state’s revenue framework and an unlawful exploitation of market men and women who struggle daily to earn a living. According to him, the state government is sanitising the markets to ensure that every legitimate payment is transparent, receipted, and remitted through the proper channels, while every form of extortion is completely eliminated.
He further cautioned that anyone, whether acting alone or under any guisecaught harassing traders, mounting illegal checkpoints, issuing fake tickets, or collecting money without official identification would face decisive legal consequences. Hon. Dr. Mbah urged market executives to work closely with government monitoring teams, maintain vigilance, and immediately raise alarm once suspicious persons are noticed in or around the markets. He assured the traders that his office remains accessible and responsive, adding that reports can be made promptly to him for swift intervention, noting that protecting traders from intimidation and unlawful taxation remains a priority of the current administration.
Speaking in the same vein, officials of the taskforce emphasized that Udenu markets must operate within the state-approved revenue structure, explaining that only government-recognised agents are permitted to collect any form of levy, and only with verifiable identification and due process. They encouraged traders to insist on proper documentation for any payment and to reject any demand that does not come through legally approved channels.
Hon. Dr. Mbah also appealed to market leaders to continue supporting government policies aimed at strengthening grassroots development, peace, and economic growth. He noted that stable and well-regulated markets are essential to the prosperity of communities and the state at large, adding that traders deserve a business environment free from fear, intimidation, and illegal taxation.
In a brief charge to the market leadership, Hon. Dr. Mbah urged eligible residents and stakeholders to take part in the ongoing APC membership e-registration exercise, describing it as an opportunity for greater political participation and structured engagement at the grassroots. He encouraged those who are yet to register to do so through the appropriate channels, while maintaining that active civic involvement remains vital to deepening development and inclusive governance.
The apprehended suspects have been handed over to the Enugu State Board of Internal Revenue for further investigation and necessary action, while the enforcement team reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining the monitoring operation across markets in Enugu State until illegal taxation and multiple levies are completely eradicated
