Ondo State has moved to end roadside tax collection, banning all manual revenue practices on highways. Bayo Rojugbokan, acting chairman of the Ondo State Revenue Service (ODRIS), announced the crackdown on Sunday in Akure, stating that the Joint Revenue Board (JRB) had outlawed road taxes, stickers, and cash collections by both state and non-state actors. He said all tax payments must now be made digitally through approved platforms, including the ODRIS website, https://www.odirs.ng, to promote ease of doing business and eliminate harassment of motorists. A task force has been deployed to patrol roads and arrest anyone found collecting revenue illegally.
Mr Rojugbokan declared that no official is permitted to collect cash on the road, calling such acts unlawful under the new tax framework. The system now allows online registration, assessment, and payment, with receipts sent directly to users' phones. Tax clearance certificates are also processed online, with approvals delivered via email within 24 hours. He urged residents to report illegal collectors, affirming that enforcement would begin in April. "The era of paying tax on the road is over," he said.
Ondo State's ban on roadside tax collectors exposes how deeply informal extortion has been embedded in public revenue culture. By naming Bayo Rojugbokan and the JRB's enforcement plan, the government admits that for years, both state-linked and rogue agents operated with impunity. If the digital system works as promised, thousands of daily commuters will no longer face unpredictable stops and payments. The real test is whether the task force targets only small-time touts while leaving institutional loopholes untouched.
