Alex Otti has affirmed that his administration will abide by the ruling of the Abia State High Court which ordered the sealing of offices belonging to Globacom over an alleged tax debt exceeding ₦4 billion.

Globacom’s offices in the state were sealed on Friday, February 6, 2026, following a court order over the company’s alleged failure to remit taxes to the Abia State Government over a 12-year period spanning 2010 to 2022.

Governor Otti made the government’s position known while responding to questions during his February media chat with journalists at the Government House in Umuahia.

The action followed a judgment delivered on January 14, 2026, by Hon. Justice Chido Nwakanma in Suit No. HU/225M/2025, filed by the Abia State Board of Internal Revenue Service (BIRS) against Globacom.

In the judgment, the court ordered the telecommunications company to pay ₦4,048,748,880, representing outstanding Right of Way Withholding Taxes and other statutory levies owed to the state. The court further ruled that the amount would attract a 10 percent annual interest from the date the taxes became due until full payment is made.

Additionally, the court granted an order of distraint, authorising the seizure of Globacom’s goods, chattels and premises within Abia State. The ruling empowers authorities to sell such assets after 14 days to recover the unpaid taxes if the debt remains unsettled.

As of the time of filing this report, Globacom’s offices across Abia State remained sealed. However, it was gathered that the company has filed an appeal challenging the judgment.

Details of the appeal could not be independently confirmed, as neither the Abia State Board of Internal Revenue Service nor the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ikechukwu Uwanna (SAN), had issued official statements on the matter at press time.