First Bank of Nigeria Plc has reopened all its branches in Kogi state after over a month of closure due to alleged evasion of tax to the tune of N411.12m.
A high court in Lokoja had ordered the seal-off of branches of the bank in the state over the bank’s alleged failure to remit N411.12m to the coffer of the state government.
In response to the court order, Kogi State government on September 13, 2022, sealed-off branches of FirstBank in the state.
ANN noted that after five weeks of closure, many customers of the bank on Monday were seen transacting in the branches of the bank in Lokoja.
A customer, Musibau Ahmed, narrated the bitter experience during the closure, saying some of them had to go outside the state, some as far as Abuja for transaction.
He said the development was due to the fact that the bank had settled “some percentage” of the tax.
Enehe added that efforts were being intensified to ensure that the bank pay up all the taxes, stressing that reconciliation process had commenced.
An attempt to speak to FirstBank over the issue was rebuffed by the security men at the gate of the bank in Lokoja.
