Shola Akinyele
Ride-hailing platform InDrive has suspended one of its drivers, identified as James Oluwatosin, following viral allegations by a passenger, Itohan, who accused him of faking a car breakdown to enable robbers attack her and her friend around Onipanu, Lagos.
The incident, which allegedly occurred on Sunday evening, has sparked heated debate across social media, with Nigerians divided over who to believe in a case that exposes the risks of ridesharing in volatile areas of the city.
According to Itohan’s post, she booked a ride from Surulere to Mafoluku, Oshodi, for ₦4,800. Midway through the trip, the driver reportedly claimed his car had developed a fault, stopped, and sat idle as street thugs surrounded the vehicle and demanded money.
Itohan alleged that the driver watched as they were forced to “choose between getting robbed or paying a transfer.” The ladies eventually paid ₦8,000 to the assailants before being allowed to leave, accusing the driver of collusion with the robbers.
The story quickly went viral, prompting InDrive to suspend Oluwatosin’s account, pending investigation.
Driver’s Side of the Story
However, in a counterstatement released hours later, James Oluwatosin denied the allegations, calling them “false and damaging.”
He explained that his vehicle suffered an electrical fault near Onipanu, causing all dashboard lights to go off. He managed to coast to a nearby open and well-lit area to inspect the issue.
“I told them to stay inside the car and lock the doors,” he said, “but they refused. One of them came out, and shortly after, some area boys approached, demanding ₦20,000.”
According to Oluwatosin, he tried negotiating with the touts, but Itohan joined in and eventually paid ₦8,000 to the men to avoid escalation. The driver claims the thugs later helped him fix the wiring fault, and he completed the trip to Mafoluku.
“She paid me ₦4,000 instead of ₦4,800, which I accepted because she had already spent ₦8,000. I didn’t even expect payment,” he said. “I was shocked when InDrive suspended my account after she reported me.”
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