NANS Accuses Osun Revenue Service of Alleged Extortion, Gives Agency Seven-Day Ultimatum

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Southwest Zone D, has accused the Osun State Internal Revenue Service (OIRS) of allegedly imposing duplicate tax-clearance charges on students in state-owned tertiary institutions.

The association alleged that affected students were being asked to pay between ₦8,000 and ₦10,000 for tax clearance despite presenting evidence of their parents’ tax compliance.

According to NANS, some students have also experienced delays in completing their registration while the verification of their parents’ existing tax records remains pending.

The association disclosed this in a joint statement issued on Tuesday by its Zonal Coordinator, Comrade Adeyemo Kayode, and Assistant General Secretary, Comrade Abubakar Musefiu.

It said a fact-finding exercise conducted by the zonal leadership had reinforced concerns raised in an earlier petition submitted to OIRS by the NANS Joint Campus Council (JCC), Osun Chapter, on October 8, 2026.

The student body alleged that some students whose registration had been delayed over pending tax verification were allowed to proceed after making fresh payments, raising concerns about possible exploitation of students facing academic deadlines.

NANS consequently challenged the Acting Chairman of OIRS, Alhaji Solanke Hamzat, to explain the legal basis for the charges, the approved rates, the categories of people required to pay and the rationale for demanding fresh payments from students whose parents had already complied with their tax obligations.

Pending clarification, the association directed affected students in Osun tertiary institutions to suspend payment of the disputed tax-clearance charges.

However, it clarified that the directive did not cover tuition fees or other legitimate and undisputed charges.

NANS also called on the affected institutions and the revenue service to ensure that students facing tax-verification issues were allowed to continue their academic activities without losing their admission, registration or examination eligibility.

The association advised affected students to preserve payment receipts, demands for payment and screenshots of relevant online portals, urging them to submit the evidence through their Students’ Union leadership to the JCC for documentation and further action.

It issued a seven-day ultimatum to OIRS, expiring on October 27, 2026, to respond formally to the October 8 petition and commence a documented process to resolve the complaints.

Among its demands are the disclosure of the applicable tax laws and approved rates, a breakdown of collections by institution and academic session, the resolution of pending verification cases and the reconciliation of payment records.

The association also demanded refunds for any duplicate or unauthorised collections established through the review, alongside written assurances that students who report the alleged irregularities would not face academic victimisation.

NANS warned that any official or collection agent found to have facilitated duplicate payments could be reported to the appropriate authorities through formal petitions.

It further threatened to organise peaceful picketing at OIRS offices and other relevant locations if the agency failed to address its demands before the ultimatum expired.

The student body called on Governor Ademola Adeleke, the Osun State House of Assembly and other relevant oversight bodies to intervene and ensure that the complaints were investigated and resolved.

Efforts to obtain a response from OIRS were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.

The allegations are yet to be independently verified, and the position of the revenue service was not available at press time.