Alleged robbery: InDrive reinstates suspended driver after public backlash

Ride-hailing company InDrive has reinstated one of its drivers, James Ogunsanwo, who was earlier suspended over allegations of colluding with robbers to attack a passenger in Lagos.

The reinstatement followed public outrage over how the company initially handled the case.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command said it had begun an investigation into the alleged robbery. The command’s spokesperson, Abimbola Adebisi confirmed this on her X (formerly Twitter) page.

Ogunsanwo was accused by a passenger, identified as Itohan, of collaborating with a gang to rob her and a friend during a trip from Surulere to Oshodi last Sunday.

In a viral post on X (formerly Twitter), Itohan accused the driver of working with robbers, warning users to avoid booking rides with him. She shared a screenshot showing his profile name, “James Oluwatosin,” and alleged that he pretended his car had a fault to enable his gang to attack passengers.

She claimed, “If you order a ride and see him, please cancel. He’ll act like his car has a problem and park so his gang can rob you. All door handles except the driver’s side are broken, so you can’t escape. I had to climb out through the driver’s side while he was pretending to fix the light.”

Her post gained massive attention, sparking safety concerns about e-hailing services in Lagos. Following the backlash, InDrive suspended Ogunsanwo from its platform.

However, Ogunsanwo denied the allegations in a video seen by Saturday PUNCH, explaining that his car developed a fault during the trip and that he had no intention to rob anyone.

He said, “I picked them up in Surulere, heading to Mafoluku. Along the expressway, the car lights went off, so I pulled over safely. While I was checking the car, some area boys approached and demanded money. One of them later told the others to leave me. The passengers wanted to come down, and I allowed them.

“They eventually negotiated with the area boys and paid N8,000. When I dropped them at home, she paid me N4,000 instead of N4,800, and I thanked her. I’m shocked by these false accusations. A car breakdown is not a crime; the government should help remove these area boys from the roads.”

Ogunsanwo’s suspension drew criticism on social media, with users accusing InDrive of acting hastily without proper investigation. Many called for his reinstatement, saying the company unfairly punished an innocent driver.

Confirming the reinstatement, an InDrive representative, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the suspension was a routine safety measure while the incident was being investigated.

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The representative explained, “When such reports arise, both passenger and driver accounts are temporarily suspended during a review. After investigating the case and verifying the facts, we found no evidence of wrongdoing by the driver, so his suspension was lifted.”

The spokesperson for the Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transporters of Nigeria, Jossy Adaraniwon, condemned app companies for suspending drivers without proper inquiry.

He said, “We will not allow any injustice against our drivers. App companies often act based on riders’ complaints without hearing the driver’s side. We’ve been calling for a roundtable discussion to establish fair procedures. From the information available, it’s clear that the lady’s claims were false.”