A rider left a 2-star inDrive review. Days later, she was doxxed and harassed. Here’s what happened — and why the platform’s safety practices are under fire.
On March 16, Tobi Afolabi did what millions of people do every day: she used a ride-hailing app and left a review. That should’ve been it, but what followed was wild.
Three days later, she started getting strange messages. One of them asked if she knew why people sleep and never wake up. Threats. Dozens of calls. Hundreds of messages. Her number had been leaked. A driver from inDrive had doxxed her—posted her personal info on Facebook and framed her as some kind of “task force” informant. All this because she left a two-star review.
If we’re keeping it a buck, this should never happen. You shouldn’t be scared of retaliation because you left honest feedback. But what’s worse is that this isn’t even an isolated case. inDrive has a pattern, and people are starting to talk.
What Actually Happened
During the trip, Tobi noticed the driver missed a turn and let him know. He disagreed, saying he was following the map, but she let it slide.
They ended up at the wrong location — the house number matched, but it clearly wasn’t her destination. Again, she pointed it out. Again, he pushed back. Eventually, she directed him to the correct location.
Frustrated, she left a two-star review. As far as she knew, that was the end of it. On March 19, she received a message from an unknown number:
“Do you know why people sleep and don’t wake up?”
It was a threat, and it didn’t stop there. The sender had a screenshot of the review she left, which was supposed to be anonymous. When she responded, the person warned her that they would “make her famous.” Then the calls started—dozens of them—with profanity-laced messages and harassment.
A few hours later, it became clear what had happened. Tobi had been doxxed.
The driver had shared her phone number in a Facebook group, accusing her of trying to set him up as part of a “task force.” He framed the review as a trap. That post, and her number, started circulating.
Naturally, she contacted inDrive’s support through the app.
The response?
A few generic, copy-pasted messages and a suggestion to “block the numbers.” Eventually, someone called. But when she asked basic questions — like how the driver got her number or why the review wasn’t anonymous — she didn’t get answers.
The driver’s account was reportedly “restricted,” but what that means remains unclear.
And that’s a problem.
inDrive Has a Reputation — and Not a Great One
This wasn’t the first complaint tied to inDrive. Far from it.
Online, you’ll find a growing list of allegations:
- Riders (especially women) stalked or harassed by drivers
- Physical and verbal assault
- Drivers manipulating destinations or ignoring rider instructions
- Poor or nonexistent customer support
Multiple riders have claimed their privacy was violated, among other issues with using the ride-hailing app.
inDrive insists reviews are anonymous. But incidents like this suggest otherwise.
If a driver can trace a rating back to a passenger, the system is broken.
Even an inDrive Insider Issued a Warning
After this incident went public, Vladislav Slivko, a former product designer at inDrive and current shareholder, commented under a LinkedIn post about the situation.
“What happened to you is absolutely terrible. I deeply sympathize with you. 💚
As a former member of inDrive’s product team, I cannot share certain unsettling details due to an NDA. However, as a private individual and shareholder of the company, I would strongly advise against using the service for safety reasons.”
That’s not just a red flag; it’s a blaring alarm. It’s not often you see insiders publicly distance themselves like this. His comment confirms what many riders have been saying quietly: something’s broken in this system.
When someone inside the company says it’s not safe, you have to wonder how many other stories have yet to be told.
The Bigger Problem
A lot of Nigerians have stories like this. Stories that involve harassment, stalking, assault, even attempted kidnapping, often involving ride-hailing apps like inDrive.
It’s clear this isn’t just about one bad driver. It’s about a system that lets this stuff happen. A platform where driver vetting is unclear. Where reviews aren’t really anonymous. Where support doesn’t support.
Cyberbullying like this is often gendered. Women in Nigeria—especially those who speak out—deal with abuse at a massive scale. The data backs it up: 58% of Nigerian women have experienced cyberbullying.
The platforms where these events happen often fail to act. That lack of accountability creates a space where abuse thrives. And when you add misogyny, misinformation, and poor platform accountability into the mix, things get real dangerous, real fast.
So What Now?
Platforms like inDrive need to do better. It’s not enough to say reviews are anonymous. They need to be. It’s also not enough to “restrict” a driver. There should be real consequences, clear enforcement, and transparent policies.
Here’s what platforms need to start doing:
- Make reviews truly anonymous
- Cut off driver access to passenger data post-ride
- Vet drivers properly, with recurring checks
- Build real-time, human-led support for harassment reports
- Take public accountability when things go wrong
These aren’t lofty demands. They’re baseline expectations in any trust-based system.
Until Platforms Fix This, Riders Will Keep Pushing Back
This won’t be the last story like this. But it should be the one that forces change.
Because the truth is, riders are watching. They’re documenting. They’re sharing. And the more these incidents come to light, the harder it becomes for companies to hide behind vague statements and half-measures.
So yeah, platforms need to do better. But until then? Riders will keep telling their stories — louder, sharper, and harder to ignore.
inDrive has a choice: keep pretending these issues are rare, or fix the holes in their system. Until they do, every ride comes with a question: is it worth the risk?
