In a violent assault at Amudo Market in Ebonyi’s Ezza South Local Government Area, four people were injured when suspected hoodlums ambushed an enforcement team working for the Ebonyi State Internal Generated Revenue Service (EBSIRS). The attack, which occurred during the e-ticketing operation, left three revenue officers and one Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) official severely injured.
Eyewitnesses described a chaotic scene where over 200 attackers, armed with cutlasses and guns, blocked roads with logs, overpowering the enforcement team and freeing arrested motorists. “It was a terrifying sight; many people fled the market in fear,” one witness recalled. Samuel, a member of the enforcement team who survived the attack, called the incident a clear act of sabotage aimed at disrupting efforts to combat illegal ticket sales.
An anonymous EBSIRS official explained that the e-ticketing system, launched in October 2024, was introduced to curb revenue leakages caused by illegal ticket sales. “People print tickets and sell them illegally, robbing the state government,” the official said. The team is now urging the government to arrest and prosecute those responsible for the attack.
Despite ongoing awareness campaigns through radio and newspapers, the e-ticketing initiative continues to face resistance. The enforcement team has called for increased protection, especially as some motorists remain resistant to paying the required levies directly to the government instead of through touts.
Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, who initiated the transition to e-ticketing in the state, is determined to streamline the revenue collection process. The attack has led to heightened concerns about the safety of enforcement officers, with the Chairman of Ezza South Council, Mrs. Euphemia Nwali, condemning the violence and promising a thorough investigation.
Chief Christopher Omo-Isu, Chairman of the Ebonyi State Board of Internal Revenue, also expressed outrage, emphasizing the danger the attack posed to the safety of workers and the progress made. He assured that the board would work closely with security agencies to improve staff protection and ensure justice.
The violence follows an earlier incident where an e-ticketing officer was assaulted at a filling station in Afikpo, sustaining head, hand, and eye injuries. Though the attacker was arrested, they were later released after intervention by local stakeholders, who pledged to enforce compliance among motorcycle and tricycle riders.
