The Osun State Government on Thursday sealed off a quarry suspected to be used for illegal mining operations at Ajebandele village in Ayedaade South Local Council Development Authority in the state.
The site which allegedly belongs to business mogul, Aliko Dangote, is also said to be defaulting on remittance of tax payment to the tune of N1.5bn.
Channels Television’s correspondent reported that the officials of the board who managed to block the entrance to the site were attacked by some unconventional security men believed to have been hired by the company to resist compliance by the tax team.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Tax and Revenue Matters, Mr Gbenga Akano, who spoke to journalists after sealing off the quarry said the government had on numerous occasions, engaged with the headquarters of the company without any sign of compliance, hence the need to seal off the quarry.
“We are here to restrain Dangote Quarry that has been carrying on illegal operations in our Land for the past 5 years.
“The Executive secretary of Ayedaade South LCDA sometime in October this year alerted us to the activities of this illegal mining site.
“The discovery of the Executive secretary showed that our revenue is leaking somewhere and on the 4th of October, I led a team comprising top functionaries to visit this site.
“We discovered that it occupies a 5-kilometer square and they have been carrying on illegal operations because they are trespassing on our land unnoticed for 5 years without our knowledge,” he said.
There was no one to speak on behalf of the Dangote group as at the time of filing this report.
CHANNELS
