Popular Nigerian content creator, Habeeb “Peller” Hamzat, has called out the Lagos State Government over what he described as excessive taxation.
In a viral video from a recent livestream with singer Tobechukwu Okoh, popularly known as Peruzzi, Peller alleged that the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) had demanded N36 million in income tax from him.
He argued that he had never received any form of benefit from the state government and questioned the basis for the tax bill.
“The task force said I should pay N36 million in tax. I swear to Almighty Allah, I don’t have anything. I only came into the limelight last year. Are you, Peruzzi, even paying tax, and how much is it? Why should I pay N36 million? What does that even mean? Why will the government take money from me when it has never given me anything, not even TikTok support, let alone help from a task force member?” Peller said.
He claimed that the LIRS demand was linked to a TVC interview in which he stated he was making money on TikTok. “It was all packaging; I didn’t make any money. I don’t earn from Nigeria; my money comes from social media. I don’t work in any company, and I don’t have any,” he added.
Responding during the livestream, Peruzzi advised Peller to settle the bill to avoid potential sanctions.
“Why haven’t you paid your taxes? As a Nigerian, you know you must pay tax. The government doesn’t care whether you only came into the limelight last year. Do you know how much I pay in tax? I won’t mention it here, but it’s more than the bill they gave you,” Peruzzi said.
He further stressed the importance of fulfilling tax obligations, warning: “You must pay it; if you don’t, the government will arrest you. Once they arrest you, you can go to their office and explain that your interview on TVC was just packaging, but remember, if you’re earning money in Nigeria, you must pay tax.”
