In an unfortunate turn of events, an e-hailing driver operating on the Uber and Bolt apps has been murdered in the line of duty. This was disclosed to Technext by the Nigerian e-hailing union, the Amalgamated Union of App-based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON).
According to the union, the tragic incident occurred on the evening of February 7, 2025. The driver, Yusfat Olawale Ayinda, received a ride request- that fateful evening- from a rider around Fela Shrine in Ikeja. Upon arrival at the pickup location, he was ambushed by a group of young men, purportedly including the rider who had requested him.
The assailants attacked and fatally stabbed Yusfat before stealing his vehicle. Technext reached out to the Lagos State Police Command for a confirmation of the murder but is yet to get a response at the time of publishing this report.
The AUATON said its Lagos State Chairman, Comrade Jaiyesimi Azeez, has reached out to the family of the slain driver to offer condolences and support them following the demise of their breadwinner. The union also said its State Task Force chief, Comrade Detective David Ademola, has initiated an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the Uber driver’s murder.
“The task force is currently working in collaboration with the family and other authorities to gather evidence and identify the app through which the ride request was made. Efforts are being made to track down the assailants and bring them to justice,” the union said.
It also said the task force will coordinate with law enforcement to enhance investigative efforts and leverage technology in tracking the assailants. The union also expressed deep concern over the safety of its members and is advocating for increased security measures for drivers in the area.
“The murder of Comrade Yusfat Olawale Ayinda underscores the pressing need for enhanced safety measures for e-hailing drivers. The Auaton Lagos State Task Force is committed to ensuring that justice is served and that steps are taken to prevent such incidents in the future,” the union said.
Uber/Bolt drivers call for mandatory rider profiling
Drivers operating on taxi-hailing apps like Uber and Bolt have become targets of hoodlums looking to rob them of their cars. In several cases, the drivers get killed during the robbery.
According to a BBC report, on January 9, two suspects ordered a ride from Chevron, Lekki to Obalende. When they got to a lonely area of Obalende, the suspects attacked the driver and stabbed him severally before robbing him. The driver died.
In another incident, a three-man gang abducted an e-hailing driver, Oluwaseyi Fowler in Ajah, killed him and robbed him of his Toyota Camry which they sold to a criminal buyer who has also been arrested.
According to reports, about 10,000 drivers use the Uber and Bolt apps daily in Lagos state. This means there are about 10,000 potential victims of these armed robbery and killer gangs in the state. To this end, drivers are calling for comprehensive driver profiling involving the integration of their National Identification Number (NIN).
Following the police arrests, National President of the AUATON, Comrade Adeniran expressed grave concerns over the alarming spate of killings of app-based transporters across the country. He then criticized the hailing platforms for their failure to prioritize the safety and well-being of drivers, despite repeated calls for reform.
He pointed out that negligence in profiling riders has created a dangerous environment for app-based drivers.
“For years, platforms have refused to do what is right by implementing proper rider profiling systems. This failure has endangered the lives of our members and left families mourning their loved ones,” Comrade Adeniran said.
A driver, Ajibola supported the president’s stance stating that it was time for app companies and regulators to implement mandatory rider profiling to forestall the violence against drivers.
“Operations across the board should now be the fight of drivers. Rider profile and Cancellation fees. Only our principal regulators can orchestrate these policies. Time to contact our connections at the state and national assemblies with some summations to this effect. NIN incorporation should be the simple way to go in rider profiling,” he said.
Another driver, Manny, agreed, insisting that if the rider who ordered the ride had linked their NIN, they would have been easy to crack down.
“The point is, our NIN is linked to our phone number. BVN is linked to NIN. So it means, if they have the rider’s phone number, they will know the NIN and from the NIN they will be linked to the rider. Is that not a starting point?” he said.
It is left to see if the app companies and the Lagos state Ministry of Transport would heed the call of the drivers for comprehensive rider profiling.
See also: Driver killings: AUATON condemns Uber and Bolt for failure to profile passengers
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