The Lagos council of the Amalgamated Union of App-based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON) has disowned a driver who locked up a child in the boot of his car during a trip.

The union disclosed this in a statement over the weekend by its Chairman, Jaiyesimi Azeez, and signed by its PRO, Stephen Iwindoye.

Recall that in a viral video posted by social media influencer VDM on X, the driver could be seen accosted by a crowd after his passengers discovered he locked up a child in his boot. The social media activist confirmed that the matter was eventually taken to a police station amid allegations that calls had already been made for the case to be discarded.

Reacting to the incident, the chairman said the union’s attention has been drawn to the deeply disturbing viral video depicting a driver operating on the inDrive platform placing a minor in the boot of his vehicle during a trip involving an unidentified passenger.

“We strongly condemn this inhumane, unsafe, and criminal act. It represents a gross violation of safety standards, moral ethics, and basic human dignity. While the identity and motive of the driver remain unknown, we wish to state categorically that the individual involved is not a member of AUATON, nor is he recognised by our union in any official capacity. AUATON does not condone or support criminal or unethical behaviour under any circumstances. We completely dissociate ourselves from this incident,” the union said.

AUATON, however, believes these measures are reactionary and that inDrive has become notorious for the abysmal conduct of drivers operating on its platform.

“Regrettably, this is not the first time troubling reports have emerged involving drivers on the inDrive platform. Our union has consistently raised concerns about the platform’s failure to adequately verify and profile drivers before onboarding them. Unlike responsible operators, inDrive has refused to collaborate with AUATON or conduct proper driver verification through our systems—despite multiple formal engagements and calls to action,” the statement reads.

AUATON also pointed out that as the only registered ride-hailing union in Africa, it maintains a verifiable database of professional, trained, and monitored drivers, stressing that if inDrive had cooperated with its regulatory oversight and verification framework, incidents like this could have been prevented.

It also disclosed that it has previously petitioned the Lagos State House of Assembly regarding the negligent conduct of certain app-based platforms, including inDrive, particularly on issues of safety, regulatory compliance, and driver accountability. Sadly, this recent incident only reinforces our long-standing concerns.

“We hereby call on the Lagos State Government, the Nigeria Police Force, and all relevant authorities to urgently investigate this matter, identify the perpetrator, and ensure justice is served. We also demand that inDrive immediately halt the onboarding of unverified drivers and take responsibility for the safety of passengers using its platform,” the statement read.

The union also assured that it remains steadfast in its commitment to upholding the highest standards of safety, professionalism, and accountability in the ride-hailing sector across Lagos State.