Special Enforcement Unit of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, yesterday stormed the NICON Luxury Hotel in Abuja and arrested business mogul, Jimoh Ibrahim, over alleged N6.8billion tax fraud.
Ibrahim was said to be in detention and giving statements at the time of putting down this report.
According to an FIRS source that preferred anonymity, “We are investigating a case where Chief Ibrahim defrauded the federal government to the tune of N6.8 billion. He is in our custody; we intend to take statements from the suspect with caution”, he added.
Another source narrated: “Mr. Ibrahim has been evading our agents for some time now, but today (yesterday) we closed in on him and eventually caught him in his hotel room in NICON Luxury Hotel and arrested him this (yesterday) afternoon in Abuja.”
Spokesman for FIRS, Emmanuel Obeta later responded to enquiries from Nigerian Pilot, saying that Ibrahim was needed to provide clarifications on tax liabilities concerning defunct Air Nigeria. He, however, did not confirm the amount of liability.
Nigerian Pilot learnt further that Ibrahim was being interrogated by the Nigerian Police officials alongside FIRS officials as at press time yesterday.
Ibrahim emerged into national prominence under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, when he was frequently described as an insurance magnate after the sale of the state owned NICON Insurance Company to Him.
He subsequently became a player in the media industry through the controversial purchase of Newswatch magazine and also as a proprietor of Air Nigeria, an airline closed down last year due to safety concerns and Ibrahim’s inability to meet financial obligations to staff and maintenance engineers as well as aircraft parts suppliers.
His troubles in the aviation sector came to light when one of his top level employees, John Nnorom turned into a whistleblower and disclosed the airline’s extensive violation of maintenance standards and financial fraud.
It was also reported that an aircraft leasing company sued him in New York court seeking a huge payment representing Air Nigeria’s unpaid obligations under the term of the lease.
