Bolt app: ‘I shock to see my husband with knife for im neck’ - Wife of stabbed Bolt driver

e-hailing taxi service Bolt say dem dey aware of recently reported incidents of attack on Bolt drivers wey dey happun for Port Harcourt and dem condemn any form of criminality and acts of violence towards e-hailing drivers.

Regional Manager for West Africa for Bolt, Uche Okafor tell BBC Pidgin say dem believe say evri pesin get right to move around without risk of harm, intimidation or coercion, or fear of death or injury.

Dis comment from Bolt dey come at a time wen fellow drivers stage protest on Friday to call for an end of fellow drivers wey dem allege say na passengers dey carry out.

Di death of 46 year old Isaac Archibong Udoh, a Bolt driver for Port Harcourt don make am two drivers wey don die while dem dey drive passenger on di Bolt app in di past two weeks.

Wife of Isaac Archibong Udoh, Blessing tell BBC Pidgin say she shock wen she discover di deadibody of her husband for Nkpogu, Trans-Amadi area of di Rivers State capital with di knife wey di killers take stab am still dey im neck on Thursday 7 April 2022.

"As I see im deadibody, I shout! I call di woman wey get di motor wey im dey use drive di Bolt tell her say make she come o, my husband don die. Naim her husband and brothers come meet us for Nkpogu, then go make police report. Na police naim come carry im deadibody."

Blessing say na around 10pm on Wednesday night 6 April 2022 her husband put on di Bolt app, comot to go carry passengers.

By 2am, e call her to ask if light dey dia house. Around 5am wen she call am, di number im dey use for di Bolt app dey switched off but di number with im small phone dey ring but nobody dey pick.

Dis tin worry her so by daybreak, she call di woman wey get di motor her husband dey use for di Bolt to see wia di motor dey because di motor get tracker.

Di woman check come see say di motor dey Nkpogu area so she carry her 8-months old pikin along with her sister go begin search di area only to see pipo gada just after di Nkpogu/Toky hotels junction. Wen she go near, she see say na her husband lie down dead for di ground.

"Dem stab-stab my husband. Di white shirt im wear don turn red from di bleeding. Blood even stain di blue jeans im wear and di knife di pipo use kill am still dey im neck." She tok.

She say dem don deposit di deadibody for mortuary and di car, black Toyota Camry, dey police custody as police don begin investigate.

Dis na di second deadibodi of Bolt drivers dem dey discover as barely two weeks ago, dem discover di deadibody of anoda bolt driver, one Alexander George, for Psychiatric Hospital road, Rumuigbo, Obio Akpor LGA, inside gutter wia dem tie im hands and legs.

Dis don make many Bolt drivers to fear for dia lives as e don become high risk for dem to work especially for night.

'Dem snatch my car but I thank God I escape alive'

Anoda Bolt driver, Segun Akinola escape similar attack but dem steal im car.

Segun tell BBC Pidgin say na on 23 March, 2022 di incident happen.

E say e carry passenger from Landmark hotels area of D/Line to Mothercat, Trans-Amadi Port Harcourt.

"As I dey check di app to see di cost of di ride to tell am, di next thing, oda boys don surround me, point me gun and say make I come down from di motor. Dem collect my phone and drive comot with di car."

Segun say im try reach im brother and dem go report for Police Station.

‘Make Bolt protect dia drivers'

Some drivers with Bolt bin don do protest for Port Harcourt wia dem demand better treatment and protection.

On 14 March, 2022 some Bolt drivers do protest for Port Harcourt to demand increment for dia fare especially with di fuel scarcity and increase in di cost of fuel.

Dem also do two days warning strike to drive home dia demands.

One of di protesting drivers, Christopher tell BBC Pidgin say unfortunately, Bolt never do anything about dia demands.

E say beyond dia demand for an increase in di cost of fares, Bolt drivers dey fear for dia lives because of di many incidents of attack and killing of drivers wey don happen in recent times.

Wetin Bolt say dem dey do?

Regional Manager for West Africa for Bolt, Uche Okafor tell BBC Pidgin say dem dey aware of recently reported incidents of attack on Bolt drivers wey dey happen for Port Harcourt and dem condemn any form of criminality and acts of violence towards e-hailing drivers.

Okafor say dem believe say evri pesin get right to move around without risk of harm, intimidation or coercion, or fear of death or injury.

Di Bolt West Africa manager explain say wen incident of high priority nature dey reported to dia Safety Team, dem dey urgently escalate am for investigation.

E say wia dem find out say a rider get hand for criminal activity dem dey block dem from accessing di Bolt Platform.

"Dis one mean say their email address wey dem use sign-up an account or di phone [number] dem use order a ride go dey permanently blocked.

"Wen a case dey opened with di police, we go provide all di necessary information for di investigation to commence." E tok.

Which safety measures dey for Bolt drivers?

On di safety measures Bolt don put in place to protect drivers wey dey on di Bolt app from any kain attacks, robbery and even killings, di Regional Manager for West Africa for Bolt say both drivers and passengers get SOS button for dia app wey dey linked to available emergency responses for dia city.

In addition, e say dem dey evaluate and monitor how dem wan add a selfie-authentication process for riders for possible roll-out in di next quarter.

On weda Bolt get policy for Bolt drivers wey dey injured, attacked, robbed and killed wen dem dey work using di Bolt App, Uche Okafor say,

"Drivers and riders get access to di Bolt Trip Insurance at no cost to di drivers and riders in di event say dat kain incident happen.

"Bolt dey cover permanent disability, temporary disability, medical expenses, loss of personal effects and in di event of death." Na so im tok.