According to a news report from The ICIR, the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS) has denied using discriminatory policies in the assessment and collection of personal income tax.

The ICIR's investigation, published on July 31 under the title 'How Igbo traders bear brunt of Kwara government failed directive', revealed that several Igbo traders who had paid taxes as requested by the government since 2018, were subsequently faced with demands for substantial arrears.

KWIRS, in a statement issued on August 2, chose not to refute the specific allegations made in the report. Instead, the service framed The ICIR's investigation as a critique of Governor Abdulrahman Abdurazaq's administration, suggesting that The ICIR had accused the governor of instructing KWIRS to single out Igbo traders.

“Contrary to the unfounded allegation contained in the publication, at no time did the Governor of Kwara State explicitly or impliedly direct the service to victimise or act in a particular way towards anyone on the basis of their religion, ethnicity, or other personal social identity.

“The service has adopted a non-discriminatory policy on prohibition of associations on assessment and collection of personal income tax in compliance with relevant provisions of the federal law which is the Personal Income Tax Act, 2011 (as amended,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, at no point in the report did The ICIR mention such, or attribute the ‘victimisation of Igbo traders’ to directive given by the state governor, showing the author of this press statement may not have read thethe report.

The statement failed to address some of the key points in the report.