Home / LATEST NEWS / Winners Chapel staff evade tax, “beat up” government workers, one hospitalized

Winners Chapel staff evade tax, “beat up” government workers, one hospitalized

Living Faith Church Worldwide (Winners Chapel) has again landed on the bad side of publicity as Ogun State revenue officials said staffs of the church’s Heritage Nursery School physically attacked them for demanding tax.

Jide Odubanjo, chairman of the Ogun State Internal Revenue Service, said one of the officers is currently being treated at a hospital in Ilaro while others who sustained minor injuries have been treated and discharged.

Bishop David Oyedepo

Mr Odubanjo said staffs of the school owed the Ogun State Government six years of accrued tax and the officials had gone to ensure the tax was paid only to get the beating of their lives while another was detained.

He also showed a video to reporters in which the tax officers were seen being assaulted and detained for three hours by staff of the school.

He said it took the intervention of the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, of Onipanu in Ota Division to release the detained tax collector by the school and church staff. He added that some assets belonging to the state were damaged beyond repair.

He explained that the State body has the constitutional right to access and inspect financial records in the premises of any business located within the state, while addressing a press conference on Friday.

The school, a private school, is located within the church’s headquarters in Ota. The church is owned by one of Nigeria’s most influential and controversial cleric, David Oyedepo, who is also considered one of the richest clerics globally and who through his church owns three private jets.

Mr. Odubanjo, said the inspection was in accordance with the state’s drive to ensure compliance with state tax laws, along with other enforcement schemes by the state after several reminders to offset debts are ignored by business authorities.

The chairman who was accompanied by three commissioners in the state during the press conference, said a formal complaint has been lodged with the police, highlighting that government would not accommodate any form of violence against any of its officers or agent in the lawful discharge of their duties. He added that the state government would invoke criminal and civil charges against all the perpetrators of the incident and ensure that they face the full wrath of the law.

“We condemn in the strongest terms any act of violence perpetrated against officers in the discharge of their legitimate duties. It is shocking and disheartening to see uniformed officers of OGIRS being violently assaulted. We view it as the height of irresponsibility and lawlessness for any person or group of persons to assault government officials who are performing their lawful duties,” he said.

There is yet to be a reaction from school or church authorities to react to the tax and violence claims of the Ogun government. According to the Ogun State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, investigations into the matter had begun.