How touts subject okada riders in Nnewi to heavy tax despite ban by Soludo

By Ifeizu Joe

Four years ago, exactly in October 2022, the Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo in a bid to cushion the effect of poverty on the people, announced a ban on tax for low income earners in the state.

The category of people exempted from tax payment included; wheelbarrow pushers, vulcanizers, okada riders and other petty hawkers.

He said: “This message must go to all markets in Anambra. Wheelbarrow pushers must not pay any fee in the state. Vulcanizers operating along the road should also cease from paying any fee to anyone. Hawkers shouldn’t pay any fees. These poor people should stop being harassed.”

Similar to what Soludo did, last weekend, the federal government clarified through the Regional Administrator of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Danjuma Manga, that the 2025 tax reforms exempted individuals earning N800,000 or less annually from personal income tax, while increasing the share of federally collected revenue allocated to state governments.

Manga disclosed this on Thursday in Gombe during the 2026 symposium of the Forum of Heads of Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies, which had the theme, “Aligning Federal, State and Local Government Priorities for Sustainable National Development.”
He said the reforms were designed to encourage economic activity and protect low-income earners rather than impose unnecessary tax burdens on them.

Soludo’s announcement of tax waiver came with wide cheers, just as the clarification by Manga will serve as relief to poor people. But in Nnewi town, motorcyclists are taxed, with heavy penalties in the event of inability to pay for tickets. This is coming four years down after Soludo’s ban. Investigation around Nnewi showed that okada riders are still subjected to taxes, with varrying amounts, depending on the location. For example, in St Mary’s area, Okada riders operating around the area are taxed N300 daily, coming up to a monthly tax of N9,000. In another area, like Nkwo triangle area, THE RAZOR gathered that motorcyclists are taxed N500 for daily ticket, which totals N15,000 monthly. Yet these come from struggling riders who have families to feed, and are most times coerced into paying, even against their will.

When our correspondent inquired about the identity of those selling the tickets, it was gathered that while some of them are faceless, claiming to represent Nnewi indigenes, another variant of the ticket had Nnewi North Local Government stamped on it.

Nnewi is a town famed for sales of motorcycles, its spare parts and use of motorcycle as a major means of transport. Almost every body in the town has one, as it is the commonest means of transportation in the city. Because of this, the town has a large number of Okada riders, with over 5,000 okada riders struggling to eke out a living for themselves and their families everyday.

These struggling riders who are mostly family men are daily hunted and hounded for payment of N300 or N500 tickets as the case may be, while the local government authority taxes them for weekly payment that is away from their daily tickets.

At N500 daily, these faceless people will be taking in N2.5million easy cash daily, but what is interesting is that no one seems to know where these monies end up. Certainly, not in government coffers as same government has exempted them from taxes.

Some of the ticket collectors declined speaking on who their bosses are, but admitted they were just errand men and women working for higher authorities. A rider told our correspondent that what was heart-rending however eas that the collectors operate like touts, and occasionally beat up riders who refuse to pay, or impound their motorcycles and impose higher fines.

Our correspondent reached out to the commissioner for transport, Hon Edward Ibusa on whether Soludo has revoked his ban on collection of taxes from low income earners, but his phone number was not reachable. An official from the ministry insisted that the ban was still in place and that such low income earners still remain exempted.

Some of the Okada riders who narrated their plight in the hands of the ticket collectors said the payment is further impoverishing them.

A rider, Mr Okechukwu Nwaebonyi said: “We were happy when Soludo said we will no longer be paying tax, but we are surprised that till today, we are still forced to buy tickets. This is not fair.

“If I’m not mistaken, these people collecting this money are touts, and Anambra State government has anti-touting squad, so I wonder why they have not been arrested.”

State chairman of Motorcycles Transport Welfare Association of Anambra State, Mr Jude Udegbe confirmed that his members go through hardship everyday because of this, but said he is not aware who the people collecting the monies are.

“For me, we do not know those who are behind these payment, we only want our members to do their business freely in the town. I think these people are touts because sometimes, operatives of anti-touting agency used to come here and arrest them. We want the governor to come to our aid. We are tired of this and we want His Excellency, Governor Chukwuma Soludo to come to our aid.”

Meanwhile, the spokesperson of Special Anti-touting Squad (SASA), Amb. Karen James told THE RAZOR that the agency is ready to visit the town to ensure that such injustice was discontinued.

Karen said the agency has been very proactive in ensuring the eradication of touts in Anambra State. “We have cleared Onitsha of touts, and Nnewi will not be a problem. Once you get credible lead about where they use to hang around, but let me know and our men will be there,” she said.