Uber, Bolt, InDrive Drivers Petition NASS Over Killings, Exploitation
The Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON) on Thursday submitted a petition to the National Assembly, accusing global ride-hailing companies such as Uber, Bolt, and InDrive of perpetuating what it called “corporate violence,” alleged systemic worker misclassification, and repeated acts of negligence leading to violent crimes against drivers.
In a 14-page petition, seen by THE WHISTLER, and addressed to the Chairman of the House Committee on Public Petitions, AUATON’s President, Damola Adeniran, called on the federal legislature to protect the rights and lives of thousands of app-based transport workers across Nigeria.
The union demanded decisive legislative action to correct alleged misrepresentation of employment relationships, which leads to unsafe working conditions, social insecurity, and unchecked algorithmic control.
Adeniran wrote, “This is no longer just a labour dispute; it is a human rights crisis. Families have been left to mourn their dead, drivers continue to suffer brutal attacks, and these companies hide behind vague terms and technology to escape responsibility.”
AUATON also accused the digital platforms of failing to provide basic security frameworks such as proper passenger verification and insulating themselves from accountability by designating drivers as “self-employed contractors.”
The union cites examples, including the October 2023 murder of 46-year-old Kevin Ogah Ede, whose body was discovered a day after completing a ride for Bolt. Despite the presence of a car tracker, the case has seen no justice. AUATON reported that Ede’s family has received no explanation or support from Bolt or the police.
It cited another harrowing account that involved Pastor Luka, who was shot in the neck during an attempted carjacking in May 2024 after accepting a ride request from three armed assailants.
Though Luka survived after months of hospitalisation, two of the attackers were later released on bail. The union described Luke’s experience as a lack of basic passenger screening mechanisms on the platforms.
AUATON referenced international and national legal frameworks to strengthen its demands. It citeed:
- Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of association and the right to form unions.
- Section 91 of the Labour Act, which defines employment relationships and protects collective bargaining;
- International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions, including the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise (No. 87), and the Employment Relationship Recommendation (No. 198).
“These platforms operate in Nigeria but have refused to align with our legal standards. They deactivate drivers arbitrarily, without due process, especially when workers engage in collective action or protests. This is algorithmic repression, not employment,” Adeniran stressed.
He added, “This is why we need Parliament to act. The voluntary approach has failed. If the National Assembly does not legislate change, we will continue to bury our members.”
He called on the National Assembly to convene a restorative national policy conference in July 2025 with full stakeholder representation, compel platforms to participate as a good faith gesture toward reform, legislate a new national framework to classify platform workers as employees entitled to protection under Nigerian labour law, address algorithmic management and the use of automated systems for driver deactivation, and uphold the constitutional rights of app-based workers to unionize, protest, and bargain collectively.
“This is not just a plea for justice. It is a demand for dignity in the digital age,” Adeniran added.
The petition comes on the heels of a 24-hour nationwide strike organised by the union.
In an earlier statement released on April 22, AUATON’s Lagos spokesperson, Steven Iwindoye, described the protest as an economic warning shot.
“They ignore us at the negotiation table. So now we speak their language—shutdown. The era of treating drivers like disposable software extensions is over,” Iwindoye said.
Uber, Bolt, InDrive Drivers Petition NASS Over Killings, Exploitation is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
