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A Magistrate’s Court sitting in Osubi, Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State has sentenced four individuals — Otekevwe Festus, Charles Chinedu, Matthew Onisukume and Marcus Chinugo — to four years’ imprisonment each for conspiracy and extortion. The four convicts, prosecuted by the Delta State Internal Revenue Service (DSIRS), were found guilty of unlawfully collecting revenue at Koko Junction along the Sapele–Benin Expressway. They are to serve their prison terms at the Sapele Correctional Centre with hard labour or, alternatively, pay a fine of ₦2 million each. Reacting to the judgment, the Chairman of the DSIRS, Honourable Solomon Ighrakpata, commended the court for upholding justice and reinforcing the state’s zero-tolerance stance on illegal revenue activities. “We applaud the court’s decision, which sends a strong message that tax evasion and extortion will not be tolerated in Delta State,” Ighrakpata stated. “This judgment underscores our commitment to safeguarding government revenue and ensuring that all taxable entities comply with the law,” he added. He further urged members of the public to report any suspicious activities or unauthorised revenue collection to the agency, noting that collective vigilance was key to building a culture of voluntary compliance. “Let this serve as a warning to those who seek to undermine our revenue generation efforts. “We will pursue all available legal measures to ensure that offenders face the full weight of the law,” he vowed. ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
