An Indrive driver identified as James Oluwatosin, who was accused by a passenger named Itohan of colluding with thieves to rob her, has now broken his silence to tell his side of the story.
Itohan had earlier taken to social media to warn against the driver, alleging that he pretended his car was faulty to enable his accomplices rob unsuspecting passengers.
Her post quickly went viral, prompting Indrive to suspend the driver from its platform.
She had tweeted:
“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.”
In a lengthy video response, the driver denied the allegation, insisting that his car had genuinely developed a fault and that some street urchins had tried to extort him while he was fixing it.
According to him, Itohan, who was in the car with her friend, got involved in the situation and even negotiated a payment with the touts despite his warnings not to.
Reacting to the viral case, Lagos Police PRO Abimbola Adebisi urged both parties to come forward for investigation and resolution.
She wrote:
“The Lagos State Police Command is aware of the widely circulated post and is inviting the concerned parties to come forward. The parties may reach out to me via call or WhatsApp.”
Meanwhile, Indrive has also issued a statement, saying that its internal review is ongoing.
They wrote:
“We’ve reviewed the case and found no inconsistencies in the driver’s version. The review continues as we’re still trying to reach the passenger. We remain committed to ensuring fairness and safety for everyone.”
Itohan later responded to the driver’s version of events on her page.
“Added maybe because the way they dressed so Nigerians can sympathize with you. Can we both settle this in station since I’m lying?
Three guys came, asked me to choose between making a transfer or getting robbed in Yoruba. You sat in your car, even when they finished I literally…
Was begging you to start your ride. Your car didn’t break down, you said headlight had issues in the midst of our conversation and almost immediately you parked, I said can we go to a bright area, you parked!! I tried coming out, no inside door in three places…
Except yours. I quickly came down from your driver seat. Tried opening my friend’s door from outside and nothing. So if you’re not an accomplice I think we know the right place to narrate our both stories.
And my friend wore a jumpsuit with scarf and I wore a gown reaching below my knee at least. So how was I dressed?
You sat comfortably in your car when these guys were asking me to choose between getting robbed or making a transfer.
I have been advised that while appropriate steps are being taken, I should not make further comments regarding this issue.
However, I am aware of unscrupulous elements circulating photoshopped and untrue claims, texts and tweets regarding my person.
One of such even alleged that I did not have enough money to pay the driver.
Meanwhile, there are videos of the driver acknowledging and even thanking me for payment.
I am sure this is a coordinated attack, but we will see where it leads.”
Watch video below
