The Public Complaints Commission has moved to investigate Uber, Bolt and inDrive following a formal petition filed by the Abuja council chairman of the Amalgamated Union of App based Transporters of Nigeria, Comrade Agada Evans. The commission, which serves as Nigeria’s ombudsman, confirmed the development through a case chat invitation sent to the union’s state chairman.
The invite, signed by the commission’s Director of Investigation, Irene Chuka Ogbogu, stated that the Honourable Chief Commissioner directed attention to the complaint lodged against the three e hailing companies. It also summoned the union to a case chat to discuss the matter further.
According to the Director of Investigation, the invitation was issued in line with Section 9(1) of the Public Complaints Commission Act CAP 37 LFN 2004. In person representation at the scheduled hearing, set for July 13, is mandatory. The commission also asked the union to bring along relevant documents that would support the investigation and aid an amicable resolution.
Speaking on why he pursued the matter before the commission, Comrade Evans said the petition captures the full scope of what drivers endure at the hands of the app companies. He listed high commission charges, lack of security, absence of welfare support, poor insurance coverage and arbitrary deactivation of driver accounts as the core issues raised in the complaint.
He explained that all previous attempts to get Uber, Bolt and inDrive to prioritise driver welfare had failed, leaving him with no choice but to escalate the matter to government authorities. He cited the case of Comrade Idongesit Sunday, an Abuja based driver who was murdered while working, as an example of the abandonment drivers face. According to Evans, Sunday’s family is yet to receive any compensation or condolence from any of the e hailing companies he worked for.
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The union chairman also revealed that the matter did not start at the Public Complaints Commission. He said the union had first petitioned the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission over the companies’ alleged disregard and maltreatment of drivers. The FCCPC subsequently transferred the case to the PCC, since the commission holds the legal mandate to handle such complaints. After confirming the identity of the petitioner, the PCC proceeded to schedule the hearing date.
Evans described the invitation as a long awaited opportunity for drivers to formally present their grievances to the government. He said he has gathered evidence to support every complaint raised and plans to submit it during the hearing on July 13.
This latest development adds to a growing list of regulatory and legislative actions targeting e hailing companies in Nigeria in recent months, following repeated petitions, strikes and hearings driven by AUATON at both state and federal levels. Drivers under the union have consistently raised concerns over commission structures, welfare provisions and safety protocols across platforms operating in Lagos, Abuja and other parts of the country.
With the Public Complaints Commission now formally involved, the outcome of the July 13 hearing could set a precedent for how driver grievances against ride hailing platforms are handled going forward in Nigeria.
