The Lagos State Government has addressed claims by TikTok creator Habeeb Hamzat, aka Peller, that he was issued a N36 million tax bill by the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS).

Special Adviser to Governor Sanwo-Olu on Tax and Revenue, Abdulkabir Ogungbo, explained that LIRS operates independently and that taxation is a civic duty. “Anybody who earns legitimately is required by Section 24 of the Nigerian Constitution to declare income honestly and pay tax. So while the context of the size and quantum of this particular case needs to be properly investigated, the principle remains that anyone earning must remit taxes,” he said.

Peller, who rose to fame in 2024, had argued: “The task force said I should pay N36m in tax. I swear to Almighty Allah, I don’t have anything. I only came into the limelight last year. Why should I pay N36m? Why will the government take money from me when it has never given me anything, not even TikTok support?”

Ogungbo added that digital creators are now subject to taxation on virtual transactions and assets: “Irrespective of whether you earn physically or virtually, once you reside in Lagos and benefit from the state’s infrastructure, you are expected to pay tax here, unless you can prove you are paying to another jurisdiction.”

The LIRS has yet to officially comment on Peller’s claims.