A ride-hailing company, InDrive, has reinstated one of its drivers, James Ogunsanwo, who was earlier suspended for allegedly conniving with some suspects to rob one of his passengers in Lagos.
The reinstatement comes amid public outrage over the company’s initial handling of the case.
This is as the Lagos State Police Command said it had launched an investigation into the alleged robbery incident.
The spokesperson for the command, Abimbola Adebisi, disclosed this to Saturday PUNCH.
Ogunsanwo was accused by a passenger, identified as Itohan, of conniving with a gang to rob her and a friend during a ride from Surulere to the Oshodi area of the state last Sunday.
Itohan, in a post on X, called out Ogunsanwo, accusing him of working with a gang of robbers to attack unsuspecting riders.
The X user, in the post which went viral on Tuesday, asked the public to cancel rides involving the driver.
She also attached a screenshot showing the driver’s profile on the ride-hailing app with the name “James Oluwatosin.”
She wrote, “If you order a ride and you see him, please cancel. He’ll pretend something is wrong with his car and park so his gang can rob you. All of his door handles, except the driver’s side, are broken.
You can’t get out. I literally had to climb out through the driver’s side while he was pretending to fix the light and was on a call.”
Her post quickly gained traction on Wednesday as many social media users reshared it across multiple platforms.
Many people also expressed concern about safety during e-hailing trips in Lagos.
Following the outrage, the e-hailing firm suspended Ogunsanwo from its platform.
However, Ogunsanwo, in a video seen by Saturday PUNCH, denied the allegation.
Speaking with Saturday PUNCH, Ogunsanwo said his car had developed a fault during the trip and that he had no plan to rob anyone.
“I picked them on a ride from Bode Thomas in Surulere, going to Mafoluku. Along the line, while we were on the expressway on Ikorodu Road, I noticed that all the lights went off. But because I was on speed, the car was still moving. I managed to move away from the express lane to the service lane and parked close to a streetlight.
“While I was fixing the car, they (the passengers) kept saying they wanted to come down, and I opened the door for them. After that, I called my mechanic, and he was directing me on how to fix the car.
“Two area boys came and were demanding money from me. One of them later told the others to leave me alone. After fixing the car, I told the passengers to come back inside. Her friend got in, but she (Itohan) didn’t. The area boys kept harassing me. They demanded that I pay them N20,000. She heard them when they were demanding the money from me and started negotiating with them.
“At the end of the day, she agreed to pay them N8,000. I told her friend not to give them the money, but she insisted on paying. She transferred N8,000 to them.
“I’m surprised to see all these false allegations flying around. They (the area boys) did not rough-handle them. They didn’t even touch them. She was the one negotiating with them until she paid. When I dropped her at home, she paid me N4,000. She said she couldn’t pay the full N4,800, and I thanked her.
“All these area boys should be removed from our roads. A car breakdown is not a crime, and people should not live in fear because a car breaks down. The state government should help us address this issue,” Ogunsanwo said.
Ogunsanwo’s suspension sparked outrage on X (formerly Twitter), with many users accusing InDrive of acting hastily and unfairly toward the driver without conducting a proper investigation.
They criticised the company for what they described as “a rush to judgment” and demanded that the driver be reinstated.
An X user Salako, said, “A ride-hailing brand that thinks it’s okay to sack a dedicated 4.8 rated driver over false allegations, before allowing the law to run its course deserves to be cancelled. I have uninstalled inDrive. If you don’t give that man his job back. I’ll lead a one-week campaign against your brand.”
Another user, ItsCletus said, “InDrive, my client was wrongfully terminated due to a false allegation. Kindly reinstate his employment within 24 hours or be prepared for immediate legal action, it’s a threat. We stand against injustice! Firing someone over lies isn’t acceptable. Reinstate him in 24 hours or face a public protest. The people are watching.”
“An innocent driver with a 4.86-star rating, @inDrive, if you don’t make sure she (Itohan) serves a jail term for this criminal and defamatory accusation, I’ll stop using your ride,” another user, 1tobbygrey said.
Another user, Olawale Ogunlana said, “So, you didn’t investigate or listen to the driver’s account (the person working directly with your brand) first before making a decision to block his account and deprive him from work? I am reconsidering using your platform for my e-hailing needs until further notice.”
But confirming Ogunsanwo’s reinstatement, a representative of the company, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, disclosed that after a preliminary investigation, Ogunsanwo was absolved of any wrongdoing.
“His (Ogunsanwo’s) suspension was part of our standard safety policy. When there is a report like that, both passenger and driver accounts are usually temporarily suspended while the situation is being reviewed.
“Our team immediately reached out to both the driver and the passenger to verify the circumstances, and after a thorough review, we found no evidence of misconduct by the driver. His suspension has been lifted,” he said.
Reacting to the development, the spokesperson for the Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transporters of Nigeria, Jossy Adaraniwon, condemned the action of app-based companies that suspend drivers without proper investigation.
He said, “We will not stand by and allow any injustice to be meted out to our drivers. There is always a need for due diligence before you sanction a driver on any report. These app companies often listen to the rider’s side without hearing from the driver and end up blocking the driver. That is unfair.
“Of course, we will not condone any misconduct from our drivers, and that is why we have been calling on these app companies for a roundtable discussion to set a standard that will bind on both union members and the companies. But from the information we have gathered, it is clear that none of what the lady claimed happened.”
