ICYMI: Several Injured as FIRS Staff, Security Personnel Clash with Ministerial Task Force in Abuja

A violent confrontation broke out on Tuesday, May 28, 2025, at the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Headquarters in Abuja, leaving several members of the Ministerial Joint Task Force (MJTF) injured. The incident occurred during an operation by the MJTF to unseal the FIRS building, which had been previously sealed over alleged non-payment of ground rent.

The sealing, which took place on Monday, May 26, was carried out by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) through the MJTF as part of an ongoing enforcement campaign against property owners defaulting on statutory obligations. A presidential directive later instructed that a 14-day grace period be granted to allow defaulters to settle their dues, prompting the task force to return to unseal the affected properties, including the FIRS office.

Upon arrival, the task force—comprising officials from the Development Control Department, armed police officers, civil defence personnel, and other enforcement agents—discovered that most of the official seals had already been removed by FIRS staff, with only one remaining. It was during the attempt to remove the final seal that tensions escalated.

Eyewitnesses reported that FIRS staff and security personnel locked the main gates, trapping the task force members inside the premises. What followed was a violent altercation in which FIRS staff and security officers allegedly assaulted members of the MJTF, including police and civil defence officials. Uniforms were torn, mobile phones were forcibly seized, and several task force members sustained injuries. One of the victims was reportedly an aide to Mukhtar Galadima, Director of the Development Control Department.

Witnesses claimed that the FIRS Chairman was present during the altercation but did not take steps to de-escalate the situation or restrain the staff. The standoff lasted several hours before Director Galadima and a rescue team arrived to calm the situation and ensure the safe exit of the trapped officials.

Galadima condemned the attack, calling it “completely unacceptable,” and was seen contacting relevant authorities to report the incident. Sources confirmed that a formal report was lodged with higher authorities and a complaint was filed at the Intelligence Response Team Police Station in Guzape for further investigation.

Speaking, one of the victims described the incident as “ridiculous, absurd, unacceptable, and reprehensible,” recounting how the team had begun the unsealing operation earlier in the day, moving from Wuse Zone 6 to Zone 5 before arriving at the FIRS headquarters.

The source explained that upon entering the building, FIRS staff and security personnel locked all access points and launched a coordinated assault on the officials. Civil defence officers had their uniforms ripped, and one was nearly stripped naked. Phones, especially those belonging to female officers, were reportedly confiscated.